No Man's Land
by AandA4ever2010
Summary: AU. Andros/Ashley Zhane/ Karone Cassie/TJ. Takes place after Countdown to Destruction. On their way back to Earth, the rangers land on a barren planet and face their worst enemies yet…themselves. Rated M for some future content. COMPLETED!
1. No Man's Land

**No Man's Land**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own the Power Rangers**_

_**Summary: AU. Andros/Ashley Zhane/ Karone Cassie/TJ. Takes place after Countdown to Destruction. On their way back to Earth, the rangers land on a barren planet and face their worst enemies yet…themselves.**_

_**(A/N: This is a dark story that may or may not have a happy ending. It depends on how I feel. Oh, and if there's anything you're confused about, it'll be explained before the end of the story. Or you can just ask me. Thanks!)**_

Chapter 1: No Man's Land

Everything seemed to be going right for once. All seven teens sat in the Simudeck, which was currently set to make the room into Angel Grove Park, and for the first time in a while, they simply relaxed. Evil had been destroyed and there was nothing that anyone would rather do than to go back to Earth and celebrate.

"I can't wait to get back to Earth." TJ started. "First thing I'm gonna do is get a real home cooked meal prepared by my mom. Care to join me Cassie?" He looked at his girlfriend.

"If I can bring my mom along then sure." She leaned her head on TJ's shoulder. She and her mother were starting to rebuild their relationship, after her father left; things had kind of fallen apart.

TJ looked at Ashley. "How about you? I know you and Andros are gonna be looking for your own place soon but you know that you still have a home with me and my mom." Because of extenuating circumstances, Ashley had been living with him and his mother for the past six years.

"Of course we'll stay for a while." Ashley said cheerfully. "That's okay with you right, Andros?"

Andros wrapped his arms around Ashley, who was sitting in front of him on the grass of the park. "As long as I'm with you I'm happy."

"Aaawww." Karone smiled, and then turned to Zhane. "How come you can't be more romantic?"

"You wouldn't like me as much if I were." Zhane replied kissing his girlfriend.

Karone rolled her eyes. "Yeah sure."

"Hey, why don't we _all _go to my place for dinner? My mom loves to cook and the more the merrier." TJ suggested.

"Sounds great." Cassie commented.

"It'll be so much fun." Ashley added. "TJ." She said addressing her friend. "You think your mom would be okay with Zhane and Karone staying with us too?"

"I don't see why not."

"Thanks Teej." Zhane said patting his friend's shoulder. "Since NASADA offered me, Andros, and Karone jobs we shouldn't bother you and your mom very long." NASADA had also offered jobs to the other rangers, but they all wanted to enter college.

"Really, it's no bother." TJ assured.

"What about you Carlos?" Ashley asked her silent friend. "You joining us?"

"Not this time." He answered somberly. He had been trying to be happy for the others, but he couldn't quite pull it off and they all knew why.

"Carlos is probably going to see Marissa." Cassie teased, trying to lighten his mood.

"You are so whipped." TJ joked.

Carlos smiled a little. "Yeah I am. She's really great. But when I get home I really want to see my family."

"Hey DECA what time is it?" Andros asked suddenly, making Carlos happy the attention wasn't on him anymore.

"It is 6:23pm Earth time." The AI voice responded.

"Dinner time." Zhane commented.

"Yeah." Andros agreed. He stood and helped Ashley up. "You guys wanna go to the food hall and get something to eat?"

The others agreed and stood, but before anyone could really get their balance the ship shook violently, sending them all back down to the ground.

"What the hell was that?" Zhane asked, regaining his balance and helping Karone up.

"End simulation." Andros called, and the park slowly disappeared around them.

"The Megaship has entered the atmosphere of an unknown planet." DECA's voice filled the room.

"How did we get this close to a planet without you alerting us DECA?" Carlos asked.

"The planet was not here before." DECA answered.

They struggled to remain standing when the ship shook once again.

"Planet's don't just appear out of nowhere!" Ashley yelled.

"Well we can figure that out later." Andros stated as calmly as possible given the situation. "We need to get to the bridge now!"

Andros and the others struggled through the megaship to the bridge.

"DECA report!" Andros commanded as he and the others took their places at the consoles.

"The planet's atmosphere is unstable." DECA responded. "And the thrusters are rapidly losing power."

"Divert all backup power to the thrusters. We have got to get out of here." Andros ordered.

"Oh we have a problem." TJ responded as he checked his readouts. "All backup power has been depleted."

"What?" Six voices shouted.

"How did that happen?" Cassie asked urgently.

"I don't know." TJ replied. "But it's gone."

"Guys, I think we have a bigger problem." Zhane looked at the viewing screen in shock. "The ground is coming towards us really fast."

"We're gonna crash!" Carlos shouted.

"Brace yourselves!" Andros yelled. The impact sent them flying over the consoles and onto the floor of the bridge. "Is everyone okay?" Andros asked once the ship stopped moving.

"I think we'll live." Karone answered for the team.

"Maybe we should all get checked out in the med bay." Ashley suggested.

"Good idea." Andros agreed. "DECA, what's our status?" He frowned when he didn't receive an answer. "DECA?"

"Maybe the crash shorted her out." Zhane offered his opinion.

"But the computer system's working." Carlos countered. "DECA should be online too."

"We'll figure that out after we are all checked out in the med bay. We'll just have to do everything manually until then." Andros told them.

They made their way to the medical bay and luckily there were no major injuries, only easily treated bumps and bruises that would heal in no more than a day.

Once everyone had their turn being checked out, Andros addressed them again.

"We need to get as much work done as possible tonight before we go to sleep." He started, easily slipping into his role as leader. "First, we're all going to get something to eat, since the computers are up I assume the synthetron is working. After we all eat, Ashley," He turned to her. "I want you and TJ to work on the engines." They both nodded in agreement. "Carlos I want you to work on the thrusters." Carlos nodded. "Zhane, I want you to check our power sources. Find out why they were depleted."

"You got it." Zhane responded.

"Karone, Cassie." Andros continued. "I want you two to find out whatever you can about this planet and what system it's in.

"Right." Karone and Cassie agreed.

"I'll run a systems check and see if I can get DECA back online." He looked at his teammates. "Everyone got their assignments?"

"Yes," was the resounding answer.

"Okay. Let's get to work." Andros commanded.

_**Later that night**_

Andros closed the panel in front of him. It didn't make any sense. All the systems had checked out. He couldn't find any reason why DECA wasn't online. The communicator on his arm beeped. "Andros here." He responded hesitantly.

"Andros?" Cassie's voice called. Then she said aside. "Karone it worked." She and Karone managed to find a way to use the communicators without DECA. She addressed Andros again. "We found some things I think you need to see. Can you come to the bridge?"

"I'm on my way. Contact the others and tell them to meet there as well." He made it to the bridge right before the others. "How's your work coming?" He asked the four that had just entered the bridge.

"TJ and I tried working on the engines," Ashley started. "But the readouts kept saying that nothing was wrong."

"The same thing happened to me." Carlos put in. "The thrusters are online but they're not responding."

Zhane was next. "I can't find anything wrong with the power sources either."

"It was the same for me." Andros added. "All the systems check out, but nothings actually working."

"That's too weird." TJ commented. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that-"

"Something was trying to keep us here." Cassie finished, bringing everyone's attention to her. "That might be what's happening."

"What did you and Karone find out?" Ashley asked.

Cassie and Karone shared a troubled look at one another before Karone began. "The system we're in is the Athos System, and it's been abandoned for almost 50 years. Today it's basically just traveled through. No one stops here."

"An entire system was abandoned?" Andros asked skeptically. "What would make people abandon an entire system?"

"That's what we wanted to know." Cassie took over and turned to the console in front of her, bringing up the data she and Karone found. "The people in the system referred to this planet as 'No Man's Land.'"

"No man's land?" Zhane asked.

"Yeah." Karone answered. She glanced at Cassie before continuing. "Because based on what we found… this planet doesn't exist."

_**(A/N: I know it's kind of sappy at first, but I did that for the sole purpose of building them up and breaking them down. Such fun. Tell me what you think. Please read and review.)**_


	2. Bermuda Triangle

**No Man's Land**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own the Power Rangers**_

_**Summary: AU. Andros/Ashley Zhane/ Karone Cassie/TJ. Takes place after Countdown to Destruction. On their way back to Earth, the rangers land on a barren planet and face their worst enemies yet…themselves.**_

_**sunflowerliliy: **__Please get your internet back soon. I plan on updating this story every Tuesday. Here's the next chapter._

_**Caltara**__: Thanks for the review! I hope you like the rest of the story._

Chapter 2: Bermuda Triangle

"What do you mean this planet doesn't exist?" Carlos asked. "We're here aren't we? That makes it pretty damn real to me."

Karone brought up the data that the computer had stored on the so-called planet they were on. "Look here." She enlarged a portion of the screen. "These are DECA's readouts. Before the initial impact we felt, there was nothing here, just empty space."

"Maybe it was being cloaked." Ashley suggested.

"By who?" Cassie asked indignantly. "The planet and this system are barren, and even if someone else was here, DECA would have picked up their energy signal and warned us that something was out there."

"And there were no energy signals before we got pulled into the atmosphere." Karone continued.

"This isn't possible." Andros said exasperated. "Planets don't just appear out of thin air.

"Well this one did." Cassie turned back to the console and pulled up more information. "And it was doing it for years before the system was abandoned."

Karone took over. "We managed to find archives on this …no man's land from people who have seen what it does, people who were lucky enough not to get too close."

"Play video archive 'no man's land.'' Cassie commanded. "Take a look at this." She gestured to the screen.

"We don't know what happened." A man wearing an official uniform appeared on screen as the video started. "My name is Commander Stark. We were traveling on our way to the galactic conference with a partner vessel. They got behind us some how and it just sucked them in." He paused as if trying to make sense of what he saw himself. "The planet came out of nowhere. I know how it sounds. I don't understand it either. This is the last transmission our ship managed to make before the incident."

New images started on half of the screen. A man in a highly decorated uniform was talking while standing in front of the viewing screen of his bridge. Others were diligently working in the background. "Vessel _Twilight _this is Commander Skyler of vessel _Starship, _please come in_._"

"Vessel _Starship_, why have you fallen behind?" The man from the beginning of the video appeared on the other half of the screen.

The rangers watched both sides of the conversation intensely.

"We're not sure. The ship just slowed down for some reason, we're looking into it now." Skyler answered.

"Do you need assistance?" Stark asked, but his face suddenly seemed astonished.

The people behind Skyler definitely saw what Skyler had his back to. "What's the matter?" He seemed to notice the sudden quiet behind him and turned to see what had startled everyone around him into silence. "What the fuck?" The planet seemed to slowly appear through the viewing screen of the _Starship._

Before anyone could respond, the vessel _Starship_ began to shake violently.

"It's pulling us in!" One of the crew called.

"Revert all power to the thrusters!" Skyler commanded.

"All power is drained, commander we can't get out!" The Starship side of the transmission went blank.

The image went back to Commander Stark as he continued speaking. "We followed their coordinates, but when we arrived there everything was gone. The ship and the planet we saw were gone." He put his hand to his forehead and sighed. "The only thing we can do now is wait." The video ended.

"There are a few more videos like that and a lot of articles." Karone stated.

"This planet is like an extreme version of the Bermuda Triangle." Cassie started.

"Bermuda Triangle?" The Karovan boys asked.

"Can I explain?" Karone asked Cassie.

"Go for it." Cassie encouraged.

"On Earth there is this place between three islands that people call the Bermuda Triangle." Karone started. "Sometimes boats and planes would go through this area and disappear without a trace."

"Yeah." Cassie added. "Except with the triangle, there were people who passed through it and made it out safely. So far, none of the vessels that have gone missing on this planet are ever heard from again."

"If these ships were pulled here, then where is the evidence? There have to be people here or their ships or something." Andros insisted.

"We already did a search for any life force and came up empty handed. We didn't try searching for the ships." Karone answered.

"Why don't we call it a night?" Ashley suggested. "Let's face it; we've had a long day and we would be better with a good night's sleep."

"I agree." TJ rubbed his forehead. "I'm still trying to process all this."

"Let me know if you have any luck." Carlos sighed.

"Alright. Let's all go to bed. We'll pick up tomorrow after breakfast." Andros stated.

Everyone agreed and headed to their rooms.

_**Cassie's room**_

"I still don't get it." TJ complained as he sat on Cassie's bed and watched her brush her hair. "How can the plant we're on not exist?"

"Karone and I went over the data again and again but we still couldn't figure it out. Just try to get some sleep." She stood up from her seat in front of her mirror and sat next to him on her bed. "We can deal with this in the morning."

He leaned over and kissed her. "Alright. I'll see you in the morning." He stood to leave.

"TJ wait!" She clutched onto his arm. She didn't like to be alone and being on this planet seemed to amplify that feeling. "Can you stay here tonight? Please?" She relaxed a little when he sat back down.

"I'll stay as long as you need me to." He whispered in her ear. Honestly, he would rather not be alone either. He could understand her uneasiness; he had been feeling strange since they landed here too. He just hoped that tomorrow would bring some answers.

_**Zhane's room **_

"There has to be a logical explanation for all of this." Zhane thought aloud.

"Since when do you think logically?" Karone asked teasingly.

"Since we got stuck on a planet that shouldn't be here." He sighed and slumped in his chair. "How did this happen?"

Karone smiled at him. "Stop thinking about it, you'll give yourself a headache."

"Too late." He muttered.

She did laugh now. "We'll figure things out in the morning." She stood in front of him and kissed his lips. "I'll see you for breakfast." She turned to leave.

"Why don't you stay here with me tonight?" He pulled her close so she was standing between his legs.

She put her hands on his shoulders. "Because I don't want to risk my brother finding me here."

"He knows that were together." He smiled mischievously.

"Yeah, but he doesn't know that we've _been_ together." She returned his smile. "And I'd like to keep it that way." She pulled away and walked to his door. "Goodnight, Zhane."

Karone didn't let her true feelings out until she made it to her room. She took off her boots and jacket and collapsed onto the bed. Something just didn't feel right and she couldn't shake that feeling. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep.

Zhane was just as good an actor as his girlfriend. He didn't like it here, and no amount of thinking, logical or illogical could change that. He didn't want to worry Karone with what he was thinking so he kept it to himself. He laid in his bed and let sleep claim him.

_**Andros's room**_

Ashley had gone to her room to shower and change into her pajamas, also giving Andros time to do the same. Now they both lay on Andros's bed. Andros lay behind Ashley with one arm around her waist and her head resting on his other arm.

"Are you okay?" He whispered in her ear.

She sighed. "I don't know. The reality of this situation hasn't really hit me yet."

"Try to get some sleep. We'll worry about everything tomorrow."

"I'm scared, Andros." She whispered so softly he almost didn't hear her. Ever since they landed on this planet she felt like it was the beginning of the end. The end of what, she wasn't sure she wanted to know.

"Everything is going to be okay." He promised her. She was usually so optimistic and it worried him that she wasn't acting like herself.

"I hope you're right."

Andros kissed her cheek and pulled her closer. He was scared too. They were stuck on a planet with no signs of life and no way to get off. He closed his eyes and forced himself to sleep.

_**Carlos's room**_

Carlos tossed and turned in his bed. Though he didn't like being stuck on this planet anymore than the others, that wasn't where his thoughts centered. Every time he closed his eyes he saw her face. She was so young and innocent. And she had been his responsibility. He should have kept her safe.

But he had been too late. He tried to push the images out of his head so that he could get some sleep and failed. Even if the images left him, he could still hear her voice in his ear. He closed his eyes and tried to block everything out.

_All of the rangers struggled to sleep that night. None of them found rest._

_**(A/N: Hope you liked it. Please read and review.)**_


	3. Restless Nights

**No Man's Land**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own the Power Rangers**_

_**Summary: AU. Andros/Ashley Zhane/ Karone Cassie/TJ. Takes place after Countdown to Destruction. On their way back to Earth, the rangers land on a barren planet and face their worst enemies yet…themselves.**_

_**sunflowerliliy: **__Carlos isn't really hiding anything, the others know what going on, but Carlos is beating himself up about it._

_**CJS: **__I hope you do love this story! Here's the next chapter._

_**JasonLeeScottFan:**__ Thank you! Carlos's situation is really sad. You'll see who he's thinking about in chapter 6. If you figure it out before then I'll let you know._

Chapter 3: Restless Nights

_**Engine room**_

"I still can't find anything wrong with the engines." Ashley complained.

"Same with the thrusters." Carlos stated before he yawned hugely.

Ashley and TJ looked at Carlos strangely. "Didn't sleep too well last night?" TJ asked.

Carlos shook his head. "I had a hard enough time falling asleep and when I did drift off, these weird dreams kept waking me up."

"Dreams?" Ashley asked hesitantly. Carlos nodded. "What about you Teej?

TJ leaned against a wall and sighed. "I had nightmares last night that I haven't had in the past 3 years." Ashley shuddered, knowing what TJ was referring to. "What about you, Ash?"

"Yeah." She ran a hand through her hair.

"What are the odds of the three of us all having nightmares last night?" Carlos asked. He understood his dreams, but not his friends'.

"Not very high." TJ answered.

"But I'm willing to bet that we weren't the only ones having bad dreams." Ashley paced a little. "I think we should talk to the others."

"Agreed." TJ responded.

"Let's go." Carlos led the way.

_**Food Hall**_

Andros sat at the table drinking a bottle of water. He still couldn't find anything wrong with DECA and he was beginning to think that Cassie and Karone were right; this planet was trying to keep them here. He was already frustrated and to top it off, he was extremely tired. He barely got any sleep last night. And when he did, his sleep was plagued with nightmares. At the feel of a hand on his shoulder, he responded instinctively. He grabbed the person's wrist and quickly stood pulling the person in front of him and pressing the person's face into the table.

"Andros, what the hell?" Zhane struggled.

Andros quickly released him. "Sorry man."

Zhane rotated his shoulder and stared at his friend. "Are you okay?"

"I didn't get much sleep last night and I guess I'm a little off."

"I'd say you were right on target." Zhane said rubbing his shoulder. "And I didn't sleep much last night either."

"Really?" Andros looked at Zhane curiously. "Why not?"

Zhane looked away from Andros. "I kept having dreams…about Krista." He didn't need to elaborate, Andros already knew.

"I had dreams too. About Landon." He stated forcefully keeping himself calm.

Zhane winced. Krista was an understandably sensitive subject for him, but that was nothing compared to what happened between Andros and Landon. Zhane had a quick thought. "Do you think the others…"

"Andros." Ashley walked into the food hall followed by Carlos and TJ. She looked at Zhane. "Good you're here too."

"What's wrong?" Andros asked wrapping an arm around his girlfriend's waist.

"This may sound strange, but we were wondering if you and Zhane had any weird dreams last night." Zhane and Andros looked at each other. "You did, didn't you?"

"Yeah." Zhane answered. "You guys too?"

TJ nodded. "What is going on here?"

"I wish I knew." Carlos answered.

"We should head to the bridge. Cassie and Karone are there; maybe they've found something else about this planet." Andros suggested.

The others nodded and they all headed to the bridge.

_**Bridge**_

Cassie was running a scan for any ships that may have been on the planet while looking through the data that the computer found while it had been running through the night. Karone was supposed to be helping, but she looked like there was something else on her mind. Cassie didn't blame her because Cassie was a little off today too. She just couldn't stop thinking about the dreams she had last night.

Karone tried to focus on the task she was doing, but she couldn't make the images she saw last night go away. It had all felt so real, probably because at one time in her life…they were. She covered her mouth and tried to stifle a yawn.

Cassie smiled at her. "So you didn't get much sleep last night either?"

Karone shook her head. "Bad dreams."

Cassie's eyes widened. "You too?"

"That's weird."

"Cassie, Karone," Andros called as he and the others entered the bridge. "We need to talk to you guys."

"What's wrong?" Karone asked.

"Did you guys have any weird dreams last night?" Carlos asked. At the wide eyed expressions on Karone and Cassie's faces, he figured they had. "So I guess that's seven out of seven."

"You guys all had nightmares too?" Karone asked. It comforted a little to know that she wasn't the only one.

"Yeah." Ashley answered. "And we were wondering if you guys found anything else on this planet."

"No." Cassie answered. She took TJ's hand when he stood next to her. "So far it's all the same. Ships disappearing and not being heard from again."

"How about the scan for other ships?" Andros asked.

"Nothing so far." Karone answered. No sooner than the words left her mouth there was a signal letting them know that something was found. "Never mind." Karone turned back to the console and looked at the read out. "According to this, there is a large unidentified mass about ten miles from us."

"Do you think we can teleport to that location?" TJ asked.

"We should. It's just a matter of putting in the coordinates." Cassie responded. "And if the conditions on the planet remain calm and stable."

"Okay." Andros started. "Me, TJ, Zhane and Carlos will check it out. You three stay here and let us know if anything changes." He said to the girls.

"Why do we have to stay here?" Ashley challenged.

"Yeah, why do I have to go?" Zhane asked, lightening the mood.

"Because Karone's the only person who will care if you suddenly disappear." Andros responded to Zhane.

"And that should be enough for you to see that he _doesn't_ disappear." Karone teased Andros.

"I'll think about it." Andros stated seriously, but causing everyone to laugh anyway. He looked at Ashley and the other girls pleadingly. "Humor me, please." He really didn't want to risk any of them getting hurt, and it would make him feel better knowing at least the girls were safe on the ship.

"Fine." Ashley gave in. She knew he meant well. "Be careful, all of you."

"We will." He turned to the guys. "Let's get ready."

_**(A/N: What will they find in the abandoned ship? Stay tuned for the next chapter. Please read and review.)**_


	4. Buried

**No Man's Land**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own the Power Rangers**_

_**Summary: AU. Andros/Ashley Zhane/ Karone Cassie/TJ. Takes place after Countdown to Destruction. On their way back to Earth, the rangers land on a barren planet and face their worst enemies yet…themselves.**_

_**Memyselfandi: **__Thanks!_

_**JasonLeeScottFan: **__You're about to find out what's on the ship and get I hint at what the nightmares are about. If you can guess after this chapter, I'll let you know if you're right._

_**sunflowerlily: **__The only monsters in here are inner demons. You'll see what I mean, but if you really wanna know I'll probably tell you._

_**(A/N: Just a warning, but this gets kind of gory towards the end.)**_

Chapter 4: Buried

The boys stood in their loose fitting gray jumpsuits. _**(A/N: Think, what they were wearing when they were captured in the 'Zhane's Destiny' episode.)**_ The jumpsuits were complete with tool belts that each held a rope and a flashlight.

Karone held four earpieces in her hand and handed one to each guy. "These will keep you in contact with us in the ship and with each other, just push the little button on the earpiece to speak and release it to listen." She explained while they put on the earpieces. "And these," She gestured to what Andros and Zhane were now attaching to the fronts of their suits. "These are little cameras that will record whatever you guys see down there and send it here to the Megaship. Any questions?" The guys shook their heads.

Ashley sat at the console looking at the image on screen. It was a topographical map of the planet's surface and currently highlighted was the spot the guys were headed. Something about the spot seemed off to her. Something on the surface should have appeared brighter.

"Ash, is everything ready to go?"

Ashley was brought from her thoughts by Cassie's voice. "Yeah everything's ready." She pressed a button and half of the screen split into four sections with the stream from each of the guy's cameras. The other half of the screen still showed the planet's surface.

"Are you guys ready?" Cassie asked the boys.

Andros looked at the other three who nodded. "We're ready."

"Okay." Karone sighed. "Here goes."

The guys disappeared in red, blue, black, and silver flashes of light.

_**Planet's surface**_

"Are you guys getting this?" Carlos asked addressing the girls listening to and watching everything going on outside.

"Video and audio coming in clear as a bell." Cassie responded, looking at the half of the screen with four video feeds on it.

"There's nothing here." TJ commented looking and the vast desert before him and the others.

"Are you guys sure the readouts are right." Andros looked towards the horizon. The sky looked like it would if the sun were setting, leaving everything in a somewhat rosy tint, which might have been comforting if there had actually been a sun setting. The others seemed to notice that there was no real light source out there, but no one commented.

"There is definitely something there Andros." Karone's voice answered.

"Wait." Ashley interrupted pressing keys on the console. She knew there was something off about the image and she had just figured it out. "It's something there all right, but I think you guys are standing on it."

"You mean it's buried out here?" Zhane asked astonished.

"I think she's right." Carlos pointed to something on the ground that was shining in the false light. He and the other rangers moved to the object and started to dig around it with their hands. It didn't take long before a corner of what had to be a door was before them.

"I think we're gonna need some shovels." TJ suggested.

"I'm on it." Karone answered. She stood from the control panel and teleported herself to the engine room. She grabbed four surprisingly light weight shovels and was about to teleport herself back to the bridge when she caught sight of herself in the reflective metallic surface of the engine room wall.

Karone dropped the shovels and stared at her reflection, but the image that stared back was an image from her past, but still very familiar. "No." She whispered and slowly shook her head. "It's not me." The dream from last night came back to her in a rush.

"Karone?"

Ashley's voice startled her, causing Karone to look at her communicator. She quickly brought her gaze back to her reflection and sighed with relief when she saw herself reflected back.

"Karone, are you okay?" Ashley's voice was worried now.

"I'm fine." Karone finally answered. "I'm on my way now." She picked up the shovels she dropped and teleported back to the bridge. She set the shovels in the middle of the room.

"I'm teleporting them now." Ashley told the guys.

"Thanks." Zhane replied when he saw the shovels appear a few feet away from them.

The guys each grabbed a shovel and started digging sand and dirt away from around the door. After a few minutes the entire door was revealed. Andros dusted off the red panel next to the door with his hand and glanced at the others before pressing the panel. The door slid open instantly.

Andros pulled out his flashlight and peered inside. The floor was slanted, indicating that the ship was in the ground at an angle, but not so much that keeping their balance would be a problem. "We stay in pairs. No one goes off alone. Meet back here in an hour." Andros ordered. "Zhane with me."

"Why do I have to go with you?" Zhane asked teasingly.

Andros rolled his eyes. "Fine." He looked at TJ. "You're with me."

"Cool." TJ replied and followed Andros into the ship, flashlight in hand.

"I was only joking." Zhane muttered and sighed when he heard the girls laughing.

Carlos patted his shoulder. "Come on Blondie let's go."

"Be careful you guys." Karone called.

_**Andros and TJ**_

There were three levels to the ship and Andros and TJ were wondering through the main level, while Carlos and Zhane took the second level.

"This ship doesn't seem that big." TJ commented.

"It's not meant to be." Andros responded. "This is a personal vessel. It probably belonged to a family."

Because he knew what Andros was implying, TJ didn't respond.

"Zhane, Carlos did you two find anything?" Andros asked.

"Nothing really." Zhane's voice came though the earpiece. "We're in the living quarters, it looks kinda trashed though." He addressed the girls. "Are you guys getting this on the megaship?"

"Yeah we're getting it." Ashley responded. "That could have been caused when they crashed."

"You're probably right." Carlos agreed.

"Okay. Let us know when you find something." Andros pointed his flashlight in front him. "Alright TJ let's…TJ?" Andros turned but TJ was no where in sight. "TJ come in." There was no response.

"Andros is everything okay?" Cassie asked.

"I can't find TJ and he's not responding."

"TJ." Cassie called warily. "TJ, please answer me." Cassie looked nervously at Ashley.

"Enlarge camera two." Ashley commanded. TJ's video footage filled half of the screen. "He's on the move."

"Where?" Andros asked.

"It looks like he just turned into the engine room." Ashley responded.

"I know where that is. I'll get him." Andros began to walk the path he and TJ had just covered.

"What is he doing?" Karone asked when she turned her attention back to TJ's camera. TJ had stopped in the middle of the room and since the camera was no longer moving, it seemed like he was staring at something.

"TJ, baby, what's going on?" Cassie pleaded.

"Johnny?" TJ whispered, but he obviously wasn't talking to Cassie.

Cassie frowned. "Who's John-"

"Andros, you have to find him now!" Cassie was cut off by Ashley's frantic voice.

Andros didn't need to hear more than that. He took off in a dead run towards the engine room.

_**Abandoned ship-Engine room**_

He felt paralyzed. He could feel all of his limbs, but he couldn't make them move. The teenage boy in front of him stood and moved towards him. "Johnny?" This wasn't possible. The boy looked innocent enough, but TJ couldn't help but tremble when Johnny stopped in front of him.

"TJ?"

The voice didn't come from Johnny, but TJ couldn't focus on it, until something grabbed him.

"TJ, snap out of it." Andros grabbed TJ's shoulders and shook him. "Come on TJ."

TJ gasped and finally focused in on Andros. He had no idea how Andros got in front of him. "Did you see him?" TJ asked, his eyes somewhat glazed over.

"TJ there's no one in here." Andros released TJ and stared at his friend. "What happened?"

"He was right here I swear." TJ rubbed his forehead.

"TJ, are you okay?" Cassie's voice rang in his ear.

"I'm fine, really. I'm sorry I scared you guys."

"Maybe you should come back to the megaship." Ashley suggested. She was afraid for TJ. Under no circumstances should he, or anyone else, have been seeing Johnny.

"No, I'm fine." TJ said adamantly. _It was just a dream. My mind's playing tricks on me. That's all._ TJ thought, trying to calm himself.

"If you're sure." Andros said.

"I am." TJ grabbed his flashlight and took the lead.

_**Zhane and Carlos**_

"TJ are you okay?" Carlos asked as he walked though another bedroom. Cassie had informed them of what happened.

"I'll be better when people stop asking me that." TJ responded.

"Sorry." Carlos ended his conversation with TJ quickly. He knew how TJ felt. And he knew TJ wasn't okay. "Find anything significant?" He asked Zhane once he entered the room.

"I think so." Zhane held out a case with a disc in it. "I think it's a video disc. I found it in taped to the storage room door a couple of doors down. " He read the hand written label on the cover. "'Face Yourself.' What do you think that means?"

"I don't know, but pack it up; we'll take it back to the ship."

Zhane nodded. "How long do you think this ship has been here?"

"I'm not sure I want to know." Carlos braced himself against a dresser when he nearly lost his balance. "Did you feel that?"

Zhane nodded slowly. "I think the ship moved." He whispered.

"And I think it's time to go." Carlos made a beeline for the door with Zhane right behind him. They nearly ran into TJ and Andros in front of the sealed door of the bridge.

"You felt it too." Andros concluded.

"Yeah." Carlos answered.

"We need to get out of here now." TJ stated.

"Guys." Zhane's voice wavered. His flashlight was pointed at the floor. "Is this…blood?" The others quickly followed Zhane's line of sight.

"It leads into the bridge." Andros whispered almost to himself. He read the words carved into the door. " 'May they rest in peace.' "

"Do we really want to find out what's behind that door?" Zhane asked.

"You guy's what's going on?" Karone's voice asked. She, Ashley, and Cassie had seen the incoming footage and knew what the guys were thinking.

"Enlarge camera one." Cassie called and half of the screen filled with images from Andros's camera. "Are you guys going in?"

"Yeah we are." Andros answered. He pressed the panel by the door and the door slid open. An instant later he heard the girls scream and the sounds of gagging behind him. He put his hand to his mouth to keep himself from being sick.

The smell of rotting flesh hit them hard, and the sight of at least twelve decaying bodies had them all ready to lose the contents of their stomachs. The ship shifted violently causing Andros to fall into the room. He tried to stand but the ship shook again sending him to the floor again, but this time he fell on top something. The smell was stronger than ever. He didn't want to see what softened his blow, but he couldn't help looking.

He vaguely heard his name being called in the chaos, but he could focus on nothing but the bloodied face of the person under him. A person who definitely shouldn't be there. "Landon." The words were barely audible to him, let alone anyone around him. He struggled against the hands that were pulling him until he realized whose they were. "Zhane?"

"Andros, come on!" Zhane pulled his friend to his feet and struggled to move them out of the bridge.

"Seal the door." Andros managed to call as he and Zhane met the others outside the room.

Without question, Carlos pushed the panel sealing the bodies inside once again. "We have to get out of here now! This place is sinking!"

"You guys have to get back to the door." Ashley stated trying to hide her panic. "That part of the ship is too far underground to teleport."

"Let's go!" Carlos yelled. He and the others managed to stay on their feet as they made it to the outer door.

That's when he saw her. It was just a glimpse, but Carlos knew it was her. She was still so small and so scared. She turned a corner and he nearly ran after her. But TJ grabbed him and pushed him forwards.

"We gotta go Carlos there's nothing here!" He didn't know how he knew, but something told TJ that Carlos had just experienced something similar to what he had experienced earlier.

As they ran to the door they saw the light from outside begin to fade as the sand and dirt poured in. As they were running, they were barely aware of the lights shining around them.

_**(A/N: Intense huh? Hope you liked it. Read and review please.)**_

_**(A/N 2: Sorry for the delay, but I've been busy. I won't be updating anymore this week. I got projects and exams coming up, but on the bright side I have Spring Break next week, so I'll be updating as I go. Yay!)**_


	5. Seeing Things

**No Man's Land**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own the Power Rangers**_

_**Summary: AU. Andros/Ashley Zhane/ Karone Cassie/TJ. Takes place after Countdown to Destruction. On their way back to Earth, the rangers land on a barren planet and face their worst enemies yet…themselves.**_

_**JasonLeeScottFan: **__Well you got it right. And ironically enough it's the name of the sixth chapter. Thanks for reading my stories and taking the time to review. I'll be sure to return the favor._

Chapter 5: Seeing Things

_**Megaship**_

The boys fell forward onto the bridge of the megaship as they were teleported back. The girls were on them in an instant.

"Are you guys okay?" Ashley heart pounded in her chest as she made her way to Andros. He was pale and trembling on the floor. "Andros, talk to me." She took his face in her hands.

He looked at her then down at himself and nearly gagged.

"It's okay. Let's get you cleaned up." Ashley looked back at the others before taking Andros out of the bridge.

"Carlos, TJ." Cassie wrapped her arm around TJ and squeezed Carlos's hand. She couldn't think of anything else to say so she just clung to them both.

"I think we should get washed up and changed." Zhane suggested as Karone wrapped her arms around him.

"I think you're right." TJ agreed. "We can meet up later." He stood and pulled Cassie up with him. He looked at Carlos as his friend stood as well. "You okay?"

"Yeah I'll be fine." Carlos put a hand to his forehead and walked out of the bridge.

"Later." Zhane called to TJ and Cassie as he and Karone left.

"What's happening here, TJ?" Cassie asked softly.

"I wish I knew." He led her out of the bridge.

_**Andros's room**_

Andros stepped out of the shower with a towel around his waist to find Ashley still sitting on his bed. The shower had helped to clear his head for a while, but now he was going to have to deal with what was happening with him.

"Are you feeling any better?" Ashley asked. Being in that room with those bodies must have been awful for him. After all, she knew what it was like to be confronted with a gruesome scene like the one on that ship. Some images you just can't get rid of.

"As good as can be expected." He wanted to tell her, but he just couldn't. How could he tell her what he had done? He couldn't risk her turning away from him. "I kind of want to be alone right now. I need some time to myself."

"Oh." Ashley stood nervously and walked to the door. He was pulling away from her and she knew it, but she couldn't make him tell her what he was feeling. "If you need me I'll be in my room."

Andros slumped on his bed. _That was stupid_. He thought to himself. The last thing he wanted was to be alone, and he had just alienated himself.

_**Ashley**_

She'd been on her way to her room when she saw her. The woman in white; she seemed to glide down the hall. Ashley followed the woman.

It wasn't possible. The woman wasn't supposed to be here. But Ashley knew her. She would know her anywhere. "Mom?"

The figure stopped and slowly turned towards Ashley. The figures dark eyes held so much sadness. The woman stared at Ashley before turning a corner.

Ashley hurried after the woman. She turned the corner and bumped into something very solid. She couldn't stifle her scream.

"Ashley, it's okay it's me." TJ held on to her.

"TJ?" She breathed a sigh of relief before she threw herself into his arms. "I must be loosing my mind."

"What happened?" He asked and shifted her so he could look at her face.

"I was just chasing my mother down the hall when I ran into you." Her voice wavered slightly.

"I'm so sorry Ashley." And because he knew the story, he was. "I felt the same way when I saw Johnny."

"What is this planet doing? Dragging up our nightmare?"

"That's what we're trying to figure out." TJ stated. "The others are in the observatory. I came looking for you and Andros."

"Andros is in his room."

"Let's go get him."

_**Observatory**_

Ashley and Andros shared the couch with Cassie and TJ, while Karone and Zhane had the loveseat and Carlos sat in the recliner. Of course it had been the girls' idea to bring actual furniture in here, but that was the last thing on their minds at the moment.

"What do we do now?" Carlos sat forward leaning his elbows on his knees.

Andros didn't have to look up to know that everyone was waiting for his response, but the only answer he could give them pained him more than they knew. "I don't know."

Ashley, sensing Andros's pain, wrapped her arms around his waist and let him lean into her. "How long do you think that ship's been buried here?"

"Couldn't have been too long." TJ answered. "They weren't very…decomposed." The smell of rotting flesh still lingered with him.

Andros shuddered at the thought but forced his voice to remain steady. "But someone else had to be there." His voice drew everyone's attention. "Someone carved that message into the bridge door and someone moved those bodies there."

"And someone left a video disc." Zhane added, having forgotten what he found.

"What? Where?" Karone asked her boyfriend.

"Zhane's right I remember." Carlos perked up slightly. "It said 'Face Yourself' right?" He addressed Zhane.

"Yeah. I think it's still in the pocket of my jumpsuit."

Andros stood. "Go get it and meet the rest of us in the bridge."

"Right." Zhane left the observatory and ran for his room.

_**Zhane's room**_

Zhane's door slid closed behind him. He ran to his closet and pulled his jumpsuit out of a hamper. Sure enough the disc was secured in his pocket. He replaced the jumpsuit and was about to leave his room, when he heard a soft voice calling to him.

"Zhane."

He knew that voice and his blood ran cold. His eyes roamed the room finding nothing out of place. He rushed for the door and bolted out when it slid open. He felt like something was following him but when he looked back there was nothing there. When he faced forward again he stopped dead in his tracks.

She looked exactly as she had the last time he had seen her. Her gilded hair flowed in waves down her back and seemed to blow in a non-existent breeze, but her eyes were different. They were the same sea green eyes he had gazed into countless times, but they seemed lifeless now.

"Zhane."

He slowly backed away as the figure closed in on him.

"Zhane."

The voice was more forceful now, but he couldn't make himself respond. Two hands grabbed his face and he froze.

"Zhane, look at me!"

For a minute everything blurred. When his sight finally focused again, it was Karone who stood in front of him. He closed his eyes and tried to get his breathing under control while Karone enveloped him in her arms.

"Zhane what happened? What did you see?" When he simply buried his face in her shoulder she continued to rub his back.

How could he tell her? "I need to talk to Andros." His best friend already knew so he wouldn't have to explain the significance, and he wouldn't have to relive it.

"Okay." Karone slowly pulled away from him. "Let's get to the bridge."

Zhane nodded and followed her down the hall.

_**(A/N: Hope you liked it. Tell me what you think. Please review.)**_


	6. Inner Demons

**No Man's Land**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own the Power Rangers**_

_**Summary: AU. Andros/Ashley Zhane/ Karone Cassie/TJ. Takes place after Countdown to Destruction. On their way back to Earth, the rangers land on a barren planet and face their worst enemies yet…themselves.**_

_**JasonLeeScottFan:**__ The person Zhane is seeing is mentioned in chapter 3. It's not just Ashley's mother, it's her whole family, but it's manifesting as her mother…for now. Thanks for naming this chapter!_

_**sweetangel4: **__Thank you so much for your comment! I love writing and what you described is pretty much what I was going for. I love horror and suspense so I tried my hand at it. Thanks again!_

_**CraneAndFalconForeven: **__Zhane and Andros are seeing things as well as everyone else. It'll be explained more as the chapter goes on. There's no jimmy in my story. If I put that name in there it was by accident, so tell me where you saw it. But I think you are referring to Johnny, who will be explained in the next few chapters. Here's the next chapter._

Chapter 6: Inner Demons

_**Bridge**_

Andros turned when he heard Zhane and Karone enter. "What took you two so-" His frustration suddenly left him when he got a good look at Zhane's face. "What happened?"

"Later." Zhane's eyes pleaded with his friend's and Andros nodded. He noticed the worried stares he was receiving but didn't acknowledge them. "Here's the disc." He handed it to Andros.

"Thanks." Andros entered the disc into a slot on the console and commanded it to play.

The face of a woman, no more than twenty filled the screen. She wore a somewhat bored look on her face as she spoke to the camera. "Day 1." She started. "Shana here. So somehow my brilliant father managed to crash our vessel on this crappy planet. Luckily no one was hurt, but the big family vacation just came to a screeching halt. My uncles are trying to help my dad fix the ship while my aunts and my mom are making the food. Those bratty cousins of mine are getting on my last nerve, so I decided to hide in my room until we take off again." She shrugged. "Maybe I can look at this video and laugh one day."

The video jumped forward to the next clip. Shana wasn't as calm as before. "Day 6. Something's not right here." She swallowed visibly. "I haven't slept in the past two days and it's beginning to take its toll. My dad said the situation's just getting to me, but then why is everyone on edge and why are we _still_ on this planet?"

She ran a hand through curly black hair. "I told my mother that I thought this planet was _trying_ to keep us here, but she just told me to keep that to myself so I wouldn't scare my younger cousins. It's not like my cousins are babies. They're 4, 9, 12, and 16 and all manage to get on my nerves. Well except for the twins, who also happen to be the four year olds. I think I was really scaring _her_."

"Pause video." Andros commanded. There had been kids on that ship, and he knew the others were thinking the same thing. "If any of you don't want to finish watching this, it's understandable."

"I can't." Carlos whispered, but everyone heard. Seeing this, knowing that those children died. It was too much from him. The images in his head were bad enough.

"It's okay Carlos." TJ patted his shoulder. "I'll walk you back to your room if you want."

Carlos knew TJ was trying to get away from the bridge for a minute so he nodded and led the way to his room.

Cassie watched them go and placed a hand to her stomach as a wave of nausea took hold. The thought that some of the bodies in that bridge were kids shook her even more than she already was.

"Cass, are you alright?" Ashley asked cautiously.

"I'll be okay. I'm just gonna go to my room." She stood from her seat. "Tell TJ where I am when he gets back."

Ashley nodded and watched Cassie leave the room. "So it's just us four." Seeing this family and knowing that they were all dead hit too close to home for Ashley, but she made herself stay.

"So that means we're either really brave or really stupid." Zhane commented, getting a smile from the three others left.

"I guess we're about to find out which one." Karone answered.

Andros nodded. "Resume video."

_**Carlos's room**_

Carlos finally convinced TJ that he would be okay. He lay on the bed once his door slid closed behind TJ.

_There were children on that ship. Innocent children. _He couldn't fight the images that came with his thoughts. He was supposed to be watching her. She had been his responsibility. She was just a little girl. It was his fault she was gone.

The anger slowly crept up on him. No, it wasn't his fault. He tried to save her. He would have if it hadn't been for that evil bitch.

He sat up on his bed. She was on the ship. His breathing became erratic the more he thought about it. That bitch was on the ship and everyone was okay with it. He had to kill her. She had to pay for what she did. He had to kill Astronema.

**_Bridge_**

Andros, Ashley, Zhane, and Karone watched the viewing screen as the video started again.

Shana's tear filled face showed on screen. Behind her on a cot were two children who appeared to be sleeping. "Day 10." She whispered. "I had to give my little cousins tranqs to keep them quiet. As you can see, we're not in my room anymore." They were in what appeared to be a storage room. "Everyone's lost it. It started out with the nightmares, and then it's like the nightmares became real. But they were hallucinations, I know that now and I was able to fight it. I had to fight it to get to the twins in time. But the others…" She trailed off and covered her mouth to fight back sobs. "I think I figured it out. It's your worst fear manifested, your inner demons. Things you may have thought you had gotten over, but still linger in the back of your mind. This planet feeds off of that fear, that guilt… and the pain. And then it kills you." She paused. "Or it makes you kill each other."

She brought her face closer to the camera. "It doesn't matter that it's not real, if your mind thinks that what you're seeing or feeling is real, then that's all that matters." Her eyes were troubled, but she spoke clearly. "I watched my mother suffocate in my arms yesterday because she couldn't see through the illusion. And that was before my father came at me with a knife. He kept calling me someone else's name. He thought I was someone else."

She looked behind her as one of the children stirred. "As soon as I can, I'm taking my cousins and heading for the emergency vessel. There's no guarantee that it will work, but it's better than doing nothing. But right now, with what's going on out there, we wouldn't make it out alive. They're turning on each other, thinking that their family is someone or something else. It won't be over until everyone is dead. Once this planet takes control of you, it won't let go."

"Stop video." Ashley demanded. She turned to the others. "So is that what's going to happen to us? Our nightmares are going to take over and we're going to kill each other?" She lived through the death of her family before; she couldn't do it again.

"Ashley." Andros tried to reach out to her but she stepped back.

"Don't touch me. I can't…" She trailed off and ran out of the bridge before anyone could stop her.

Andros went to follow her, but Karone stopped him. "Let her go. She needs to collect herself."

"Your right." He had been thinking the same thing Ashley had and it was scaring him more than a little. He looked at Zhane. "You wanted to talk?"

"Yeah." Zhane looked at Karone. "I promise to explain later, but right now could you please…"

"It's okay." It wasn't. Karone was afraid that it had something to do with her. Maybe he saw what she had seen earlier that day in the engine room. "I'll be in my room." She strode out of the bridge.

"You saw Krista didn't you?" Andros asked once he knew Karone was out of earshot.

"Yeah." Zhane chocked out. "It was so real. She was right there." He could still see her face. "I feel like I'm loosing it."

"You're not crazy Zhane." Andros tried to reassure.

"I'm seeing my dead girlfriend!" Zhane snapped. "That doesn't rank very high on the sanity scale, Andros."

"If you're going crazy then so is TJ!" Andros snapped back. He took a deep breath, lowered his head and closed his eyes. "And so am I." He rubbed his forehead in frustration.

Zhane put his hand on his friends shoulder. He had to remind himself that he wasn't going through this alone. In all actuality, the whole team had probably seen something, but hadn't admitted to it. "What did you see Andros?"

"Back on that ship, the body I landed on, when I looked at it, I saw Landon. He looked the same as he did when we found him." He looked at Zhane. "But it wasn't real and neither was Krista." Andros stated adamantly, trying to convince himself as well Zhane. "Remember what that girl said, _nothing_ is real."

"She also said that it didn't matter. If we think it's real, then it is."

"Someone help!"

Andros and Zhane turned towards the scream coming from the corridor. They glanced at each other before rushing towards the voice.

_**(A/N: So what do you think is gonna happen? I may let you know if you're right or not. Lol! Please read and review.)**_


	7. Getting Stronger

**No Man's Land**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own the Power Rangers**_

_**Summary: AU. Andros/Ashley Zhane/ Karone Cassie/TJ. Takes place after Countdown to Destruction. On their way back to Earth, the rangers land on a barren planet and face their worst enemies yet…themselves.**_

_**Sweetangel4: **__I'm glad you think you're gonna like the story! Soon everyone's story is gonna be out. Just be a little patient. Pleeeaaasseeee? Lol!_

_**JasonLeeScottFan: **__It's not Ashley, but don't worry, she has issues of her own right now. If you wanna find out what's gonna happen, here's the next chapter. Lol!_

Chapter 7: Getting Stronger

_**Cassie's room**_

Cassie sat on her bed and closed her eyes, willing the sickness she felt to go away. She wanted to go find TJ, but she figured he would be there when he left Carlos's room. Her breath caught. She suddenly felt like she wasn't alone in the room anymore. As much as she hated being alone, the presence with her wasn't comforting.

"What's the matter Cassie? I thought you missed me."

Cassie's eyes shot open and her jaw trembled as she spoke. "Daddy?" She slowly stood.

He looked at her in disgust, a look she had been accustomed to growing up. "Such a disappointment. I should have left long before I did."

"I'm sorry Daddy." She felt like the ten-year-old girl she had been when her father walked out of her life. She felt the tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Shut up!" He snapped. "Before I give you something to cry about."

Cassie's survival instinct kicked in. She turned and tried to run for the door. But the iron grip on her arm stopped her. She suddenly felt dizzy and weak. The last thing Cassie remembered was the hatred in her father's black eyes before darkness claimed her.

_**TJ**_

TJ had just left Carlos's room and was headed back towards the bridge when he got a strong feeling that something wasn't right. "Cassie." He thought aloud. He jogged towards her room, but stopped when he saw an old friend standing in front of his girlfriend's door.

"Hey Teej." Johnny said somberly.

"No." TJ shook his head. "You're not real. You're _dead_."

"And whose fault is that?" Johnny spat, his grey eyes glowing with anger as he moved towards TJ.

"I didn't do anything."

"I know you didn't. If you had I'd still be alive."

TJ felt a sense of urgency that had nothing to do with the figure standing before him. His original reason for heading this way came back to him. He looked away from Johnny to the door that led to Cassie's room. When he looked back, Johnny was gone. TJ breathed a sigh of relief and moved to Cassie's door. He pressed the panel beside it and waited for the door to slide open.

TJ rushed to Cassie's side when he saw her pale and lying on the floor. He took her into his arms and tried to wake her. "Cassie, please open your eyes." He shook her but she didn't respond. He took her into his arms and moved through the corridor towards the bridge. "Someone help!" He panicked more when his shouts didn't wake Cassie either.

"TJ!" Andros called when he and Zhane saw TJ carrying Cassie down the corridor. "What happened?" He asked once he reached his friend.

"I don't know. I found her like this." Tears burned TJ's eyes. "She won't wake up."

"Let's get her to the medical bay." Zhane suggested. Looking at Cassie, he couldn't help but remember what Shana had said about her mother. They moved to the bridge where they teleported to the Medical bay.

_**Medical Bay**_

Cassie lay motionless on the gurney. TJ held her hand while Zhane ran the scanner over her. "Other than the bruise on her arm, it says she's fine." Zhane said while he looked at the read out. "It's still running a test but that should be done in a few minutes."

TJ nodded. He would feel better when Cassie told him she was okay herself. "I should have gotten to her sooner."

"This isn't your fault TJ." Andros assured.

"Yes it is. I was right outside her door but then I saw…" He trailed off remembering.

"What did you see TJ?" Zhane encouraged.

TJ lowered his head. "I saw Johnny."

"The same person from earlier today?" Andros questioned.

"Yeah, and earlier Ashley saw her mom. But that's impossible." TJ stood and paced in frustration. "Johnny drowned 4 years ago. And Ashley's parents died in a fire almost six year ago."

Zhane put a hand on TJ's shoulder. "We know what you're feeling. And you're not going crazy." He turned to Andros. "I think we need to get everyone together. We all need to see what's on that disc."

"What did you find?" TJ asked.

"It'll be easier if you all saw it for yourselves." Andros stated. Ashley never talked to him about her family. He knew they were dead, but she would never say how. He suddenly felt like something was wrong. He brought his communicator to his lips. "Ashley, come in." He waited for a reply and received none. "Ash?" He stared at Zhane when there was still no answer.

"Karone?" Zhane said into his communicator and breathed a sigh of relief when his girlfriend answered.

"What's wrong Zhane?" She asked warily.

"Could you check on Ashley? She's not answering her communicator." Zhane explained.

"I'm on it." Karone ended the conversation.

"I'm sure she's fine Andros." Zhane told his friend.

Andros wanted to believe Zhane, but his gut was telling him otherwise.

_**Ashley's room**_

Ashley stared at the woman in front of her. She couldn't moved, she could barely breathe.

"My little girl." The person whispered and held her arms out to Ashley. But when Ashley backed away the person frowned. "Come to mama sweet heart."

It wasn't real. It hadn't been real the first time she saw it and it wasn't real now, but that didn't mean it scared her any less. "You're not my mother."

The image of Mrs. Hammond tilted her head as if she was confused by her daughter's response. "Of course it's me baby."

"No. I won't fall for this. You're not real."

Her mother never looked at her the way she was now. Hatred showed in her eyes. "You will pay for what you did." Mrs. Hammond snapped before the figure simply faded away.

Before the warning could settle. Ashley's attention was drawn to her door, where she could hear the sound of someone crying in pain. She opened her door and moved into the corridor but stopped when Carlos pointed his astro blaster at her, but what startled Ashley the most was seeing Carlos holding Karone in front of him like a shield. He had Karone's arm twisted behind her back. And the look in his eyes was anything but sane.

"Stay back Ashley." Carlos demanded. "She has to pay for what she did." He shook Karone causing her to whimper in pain.

"What are you talking about Carlos?" Ashley put her hands up as a show of her compliance. "Who has to pay?"

"Astronema." He said the name with such hatred that Ashley flinched.

"Astronema's not here Carlos." Ashley tried to talk him down. "You're holding Karone. Look at her Carlos."

Carlos looked at the girl in his grasp, but he didn't see a frightened Karone; instead he saw a smug Astronema. "No! She has you fooled." Carlos pushed the blaster into Karone's side.

Tears fell from Karone's eyes. "Ashley please-"

"Shut up!" Carlos yelled causing Karone to shriek. He spoke directly to Karone. "You will pay for what you did."

The words echoed in Ashley's mind. "Carlos this isn't you." She pleaded. "It's this planet. It's making you see things."

"No!" He pointed the blaster at Ashley again. "How can you defend her? After everything she's done, how can you defend her?"

"Carlos, Ecliptor killed Sylvie, not Astronema." Ashley tried to keep Carlos's attention when she saw two people coming up behind him.

"But she ordered it. She let it happen." He glared at Ashley. "And if you're going to protect her, then you can die too."

Before Carlos could pull the trigger, Andros grabbed the hand that held the blaster, pulling its aim from Ashley, and punched Carlos across the face. Zhane pulled Karone away from the crazed ranger and watched Carlos fall to the ground.

Andros stepped over Carlos and moved to Ashley, taking her into his arms. "Are you okay?"

She clung to him and shook her head. "It's different this time Andros." She pulled away from him so she could look him in the eyes. "Whatever happened to Shana and her family is happening to us a lot faster." She shifted and looked at Karone and Zhane, then to the floor where Carlos lay. "I think this planet's getting stronger."

_**(A/N: More intensity huh? But you know you love it. Lol! Let me know what you think.)**_


	8. Complications

**No Man's Land**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own the Power Rangers**_

_**Summary: AU. Andros/Ashley Zhane/ Karone Cassie/TJ. Takes place after Countdown to Destruction. On their way back to Earth, the rangers land on a barren planet and face their worst enemies yet…themselves.**_

_**JasonLeeScottFan:** Well, Cassie's okay… considering. I can't believe you didn't guess what's wrong with Cassie. Carlos on the other hand… maybe, maybe not. Here's the next chapter._

_**CraneAndFalconForeven:** The waits over. Here you go!_

Chapter 8: Complications

_**Medical Bay**_

"No! Don't leave me!" Cassie thrashed and cried in her sleep.

TJ stood over her and tried to wake her. "Cassie, please wake up." He shook her a little.

Her eyes came open in a flash. It took her a minute to focus on TJ. When she did, she threw herself into his arms and cried on his shoulder. "He left me." She whispered.

He knew what she was referring to and held her tighter. "It's okay, baby. I'm here." There was beeping coming from the console of the med bay. "I think that's the results of the other test the computer was running on you." TJ stated. Cassie had calmed down a little and TJ was about to let her go and check the results when the other four rangers entered the med bay. He noticed one of them was missing. "Where's Carlos?"

"Tied up in the engine room." Zhane answered calmly with his arm wrapped around a very shaken Karone.

TJ and Cassie shared a worried glance before TJ continued. "Why is Carlos tied up in the engine room?"

"Because I'm pretty sure he was going to kill me and Karone." Ashley answered, taking a drink of water.

"What?" TJ and Cassie asked at the same time. Ashley gave them a quick run through of what happened outside her room. "But why was Carlos affected like that?" Cassie asked once Ashley had finished.

"We're not sure." Andros replied. "Ashley thinks the planet's affect on people grows with every life it claims."

Ashley picked up. "Shana, the girl from the video, it took almost two weeks before the planet finished her family off, or so I think, we didn't finish the video. Anyway, what's happening with us is happening a lot faster."

"We need to finish watching the video." Zhane stated. "All of us." He looked at his girlfriend. "Are you okay to watch it?"

"No." Karone answered. "But what choice do I have?" She leaned into Zhane when he embraced her again. Carlos was right, she ordered those people killed, it didn't matter if there was a child there with them. But she had been Astronema then and she wasn't now. Was she?

The console beeped again. "What is that?" Ashley asked.

"Oh. It's the results of a test the computer was running on Cassie." TJ answered.

"I'll check it." Ashley volunteered and looked at the results on the printout. She tried to keep her face neutral. "Why don't you guys go ahead and set the video up in the observatory? Cassie and I will meet you guys there?" Everyone looked at her suspiciously.

"Ashley what's wrong?" TJ asked.

"Nothing's wrong. I just need to talk to Cassie…alone."

"It's okay TJ." Cassie assured him. "You guys go ahead. We'll meet you there."

TJ kissed her forehead before he and the others left the room.

"What's wrong Ashley?" Cassie asked hesitantly.

Ashley took a deep breath. "This is probably a really great thing happening at the worst possible time."

"Ash, you're scaring me. Please just tell me what it is."

Ashley walked over to her best friend and held her hands. "Cassie I think you need to brace yourself."

_**Observatory**_

Ashley and Cassie entered the observatory a little over five minutes after the other rangers. TJ, Zhane and Karone sat waiting.

Cassie threw herself into TJ's arms when she laid eyes on him. "I'm so sorry." She cried. "I didn't mean to."

TJ looked at Ashley over Cassie's shoulder. He was obviously confused. "What's wrong?"

"I'm pregnant." She managed between sobs. _This can't be happening._ Cassie thought. _He'll leave us._

_This can't be happening._ TJ thought. _Not here. Not now. I can't let anything happen to them._ He rubbed Cassie's back. "It's okay. I swear I won't let anything happen to you or the baby."

She wished she could believe him, but it was hard. Especially when she knew her father had regretted the day she was born. Probably the day she was conceived too.

"Guys?"

The trembling in Ashley's voice caught everyone's attention. "Ashley what's wrong?" Karone asked.

Something wasn't right. She could feel it. "Where's Andros?"

Zhane's expression went completely blank. "He went to go get you two…about ten minutes ago."

Ashley turned and ran from the observatory with Zhane on her heels.

_**Andros's room**_

He had been shoved in his room by someone he hadn't seen in over 2 years.

"Well, if it isn't our fearless leader." The person who tormented Andros nearly all of his life, stood before him scowling.

"Landon?" A fear, old and yet so familiar, built up inside of Andros and bubbled to the surface.

"In the flesh…so to speak." He circled Andros.

"You're not real." Andros tried to convince himself.

Landon's hand shot out and wrapped around Andros's throat. He lifted Andros off his feet and slammed him against the wall, holding him in place. "How's this for real?" With his other hand he punched Andros in the stomach and threw him across the room. "Do you have _any_ idea what they did to me?"

Andros managed to get to his feet. "I'm sorry." Anything else he was going to say was cut off when Landon backhanded him across the face, sending Andros back to the floor.

"You're not sorry." He stood over Andros. "Not yet anyway." He kicked Andros when the red ranger managed to get to his hands and knees. "Three days." Landon started. "That's how long Dark Specter kept me alive." He kicked Andros again when he tried to crawl away. "He tortured me. Because you hung me out to dry." He accented the end of his sentence by kicking Andros again.

"I didn't know-" Andros groaned in pain when Landon's foot connected with his ribs yet again. He prepared for another kick, but nearly cried in relief when he heard Ashley's voice calling his name and felt her arms wrapping around him. "Ashley."

"I'm right here." She kissed his forehead. "It's okay." She looked up at Zhane, who saw the same thing she did. "This isn't a hallucination." She ran a feather light touch across the bruising on Andros's face. "This is real."

Zhane bent down beside them. "This planet somehow… it can hurt us."

_**(A/N: Hope you liked it. Tell me what you think.)**_


	9. Face Yourself Part One

**No Man's Land**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own the Power Rangers**_

_**Summary: AU. Andros/Ashley Zhane/ Karone Cassie/TJ. Takes place after Countdown to Destruction. On their way back to Earth, the rangers land on a barren planet and face their worst enemies yet…themselves.**_

_**JasonLeeScottFan: **__Of course TJ is the father! Who else would it be? Lol! Yeah Landon was part of the old team._

_**Caletara**: I'm glad you love it! Here's the next chapter!_

Chapter 9: Face Yourself - Part One

_**Medical Bay**_

Zhane contacted the others in the observatory and let them know what had happened to Andros and that they would be there as soon as they checked Andros out, but that they could go ahead and start the video to catch up.

Ashley helped Andros sit on the hospital bed and helped him out of his shirt. He gripped her hand as if his world would fall apart if he let her go. She didn't mind the pain in her hand; she needed to feel him as much as he needed her. She didn't want to think about what could have happened if she and Zhane hadn't gotten to Andros in time. For the moment, she pressed her forehead against his and ran her free hand through his hair.

Zhane didn't want to separate them, but they all needed to know how badly Andros was hurt. "Here." He handed the scanner to Ashley.

"Thanks." She said softly. She'd seen Andros hurt before, physically and emotionally, but she had never seen him like this. He hadn't said a word since they brought him to the med bay and she could feel him trembling. She finished with the scan. "Nothing's broken, but his ribs are bruised." She took a deep breath. "Andros what happened in there?"

He visibly winced. "I – I can't. I don't…" He stammered.

"Ashley." Zhane interrupted. "Why don't you go back to the observatory? I'll finish up here and we'll be there as soon as we can."

It was obvious that Zhane knew something that she didn't. Though she didn't want to leave him, she felt it would probably be best for him to talk to Zhane. "Okay." She began to walk to the exit.

"Teleport there." Andros stated urgently. "I don't want you going anywhere alone."

She nodded. "I'll be okay." She disappeared in a flash of yellow light.

Zhane switched scanners and Andros breathed in relief as the pain began to subside. "The bruising should go away in a couple of hours." He finished with the scanner and put it back on the console. "I think you should tell Ashley what's going on with you."

"Yeah." Andros started as he put his shirt back on and stood. "I'll tell Ashley about Landon as soon as you tell Karone about Krista."

Zhane froze as he turned to Andros. "This isn't easy for any of us, but we need to stick together on this." He stepped closer to Andros, his face showing the anger that was just as evident in his voice. "And if that means I have to share something I don't want to think about let alone talk about, I will." He got in Andros's face as he spoke. "But as our _leader_, you should have thought of that." Zhane watched Andros pale and saw the wounded look in his best friend's eyes and backed away, his own expression becoming one of shock, confusion, and fear.

It had been Zhane speaking to him, but they were Landon's words. Andros couldn't speak, he could barely breathe.

"I don't know what happened, Andros. I'm so sorry." There had been no reason for him to go off like that. What Andros said had been out of pain and fear. Zhane had spoken in pure anger…anger that wasn't completely his own. "This planet is getting to us."

Andros was brought back to the present. "You're right. We need to finish that video and we're gonna have to open old wounds." He finally looked at Zhane. "I have a feeling that sooner or later, we aren't going to be safe alone… or together."

_**Engine room**_

He couldn't remember how he'd gotten tied up in here. All he knew was that he had to get out. He had to find Astronema and kill her…and Ashley for that matter. He did care that they had been friends. All that mattered now was that she was helping Astronema.

Carlos groaned and pulled at the ropes that bound him. His wrists were rubbed raw and had started to bleed, but that didn't matter. He could feel the rope giving away.

_**Observatory**_

Andros and Zhane entered the observatory and took their seats next to Karone and Ashley. TJ and Cassie already shared the love seat. TJ and Cassie had watched the video up until the part the others left off on. Once they were all settled, the video continued.

"Day 17." Shana started. She visibly trembled, but tried to keep her voice steady. "I just finished putting my entire family in the bridge. I couldn't save them, as much as I wanted to, I couldn't save them. I couldn't risk the twins getting hurt."

She pushed her hair behind her ears and forced a teary eyed smile. "On the bright side, the emergency vessel is up and running. I put the twins in there already. We're leaving as soon as I finish this." She took a deep breath. "In order to beat this thing, you have to face your past, face your present, and most importantly, face yourself. You don't have to do it alone though. If there is anyone you can turn to, then do it. Shutting people out only helps the planet work faster. And the faster it works the quicker you'll turn on each other."

"If anyone is watching this, I hope this helps you." The video ended and the room was silent.

"This doesn't explain what happened to Andros." Karone whispered. "She said what we saw were hallucinations and that they couldn't actually hurt us unless we thought it was real."

"Maybe that's how it started out," Ashley began. "But she was locked in a room while everything else took place. I don't doubt that some of her family killed each other, but the rest could have been this planet using their hallucinations to hurt and kill them."

"She's right." TJ agreed with Ashley. "If it were all in Andros's head, there wouldn't have been any actual damage done."

"And I don't think a hallucination is capable of throwing someone across the room." Andros added.

"You were thrown across the room?" Cassie asked sitting forward in her seat.

"Yeah." Andros couldn't meet any of their eyes.

"I think Shana's right." Zhane spoke. "We need to talk to each other and help each other through this."

"So who wants to start?" Ashley asked sarcastically.

"I will." All attention went to Cassie, who put a protective hand to her stomach. "You all know that my father left me and my mom when I was ten. What I never told you guys, was why." She looked at TJ for comfort. "He left because of me, because he hated me."

"No Cassie." TJ tried to reassure her.

"It's true." She didn't fight the tears. "He told me, before he left he told me that he never wanted me. He wanted to leave my mother when he found out she was pregnant. And now you'll leave me too. I don't want to be alone again."

It suddenly made sense to him. TJ thought. Cassie's fear of being alone stemmed from her father abandoning her and her mother turning her back on her. Now since she was pregnant, she thought he would leave her too. "Cassie," he cupped her face in his hands. "I'm nothing like your father. I love you and I would never leave you or our baby."

"My own father didn't want me, why should you? Why should anyone else?"

"Your father was an idiot." Ashley blurted out. She got up and kneeled in front of Cassie. "He left because he was a coward. And that's his loss."

The other three rangers got up and sat on the floor beside Ashley. Cassie smiled at them before she and TJ moved to sit on the floor with them. She knew what they were doing, and had to admit that she wanted to believe they would always be there, but she couldn't quite pulled it off. "Thanks you guys."

"You're a good person Cassie." Karone started. "Everyone knows that."

It was something about the look in Karone's eyes that made Cassie ask her next question. "You're a good person too Karone, you know that right?"

"I wish that were true." Karone responded.

"What do you mean?" Zhane asked. "You're one of the best people I know."

"How can you say that?" Karone shook her head. "I was Astronema. I did horrible things to people. I _killed_ people."

"All of which is past tense." Andros added.

"Not for Carlos it isn't." She snapped. She remembered the way he glared at her, like she was the vilest thing in the known universe. "I had Sylvie killed."

"That wasn't you it was Astronema." TJ stated.

"Don't you get it?" She gestured to herself. "I am Astronema."

"Is that what you're afraid of?" Zhane asked softly. "That you're evil."

"I've done horrible things." Karone cried.

Zhane turned to her and took her hands. "You're not evil Karone. The fact that you're crying thinking that you are proves it. If you were evil you wouldn't care. And I wouldn't love you as much as I do if you were."

"But.."

"No." Andros cut her off this time and waited until she turned to him before he finished. "You're my sister. I know you, and I know you're not evil."

She leaned against her brother and hoped that he was right, because if her dream came true, she didn't think she could take it.

"I guess I'll go next." Zhane took a deep breath.

Karone sat up and took Zhane's hand. "Go ahead." She encouraged.

Zhane took a deep breath. "I've been dreaming about my old girlfriend. Her name was Krista." He looked at Karone hoping she would understand. "When you found me in the hallway, that's who I saw. I'm sorry I never told you this before. I just didn't know how."

Karone breathed a sigh of relief. "It's okay." Karone responded."Earlier I had seen my reflection and for a second, it was Astronema looking back at me. When I found you in the hallway. I thought you had seen it too." She held up a hand before he could argue with her. "Finish your story. What happened to her?"

He didn't know how else to put it so he blurted it out. "She died." His voice broke. "People kept telling me it wasn't my fault…"

"Because it wasn't." Andros interrupted.

Zhane forced a smile. "You of all people know how hard that is to accept."

"I'm sorry." Andros lowered his head.

"It's okay." Zhane sighed and continued. "Dark Specter had just started the full on attack. I sent Krista to her house and told her to stay there and that I would be back for her when it was safe, or we had to evacuate." Tears began to run down his face. "I told her, I begged her to stay. But she didn't. After I left her, she followed me, she was convinced she could help somehow. She went to one of the hospitals to help. It was destroyed an hour later."

"Andros is right." Cassie started. "That wasn't your fault."

"I should have protected her. I shouldn't have left her." Zhane argued.

"Finish it, Zhane." Andros whispered but his voice carried. "Tell them the rest."

"It doesn't change anything."

"We went back to check Krista's house." Andros began.

"Shut up!" Zhane snapped. His tension eased a little when Karone wrapped her arm around him.

"Her house hadn't been touched." Andros finished as if Zhane hadn't said a word. "Dark Specter moved on to the next planet before he reached that part of town."

Karone looked at Zhane. "You mean if she had stayed in the house like you told her she would still be alive?"

"No, I should have…"

Zhane was cut off by TJ this time. "You should have what?" TJ nearly shouted. "You should have warned her, told her it wasn't safe? That's what you did Zhane. It was her decision to leave it was her fault not yours." Everyone was silent at TJ's outburst.

Everyone but Ashley. "How many times did people say that to you, TJ? And don't say it's different, because you know it's not." She snapped when she saw the rebuttal forming on TJ's lips.

"Then what about you." TJ turned on her. "You wouldn't listen to anyone when they told you it wasn't your fault your parents died."

"That _is_ different." Ashley said adamantly.

"How?" TJ shot back.

"Because what I did got them killed!" Ashley yelled.

Andros wrapped an arm around her. "What happened, Ashley?" Ashley looked at him but didn't say a word.

"Yeah Ashley tell everyone what happened." TJ taunted her.

Ashley turned and glared at TJ. "After you."

Zhane and Andros shared a wary look. TJ and Ashley had always been closer to each other than anyone on this ship. They were like brother and sister. And now they looked as if they were ready to claw at each other.

Andros knew that he and Zhane were thinking the same thing. This planet was turning Ashley and TJ on each other, using the bond they shared as fuel to the fire.

No, it was using their fears. Zhane realized. He was the only one here that knew anything about Landon and he had used that to hurt Andros earlier. And now TJ and Ashley were using each other's fears to hurt one another. Andros was right, if they didn't figure out a way to fight this soon, they would all turn on each other.

_**(A/N: So what do you think? I've been trying to get this chapter out for a while, but couldn't quite manage it. I'm not sure it's that good, but it'll get better again I promise. You just have to get through the next chapter, which finishes with the other three rangers and ends with Carlos making a surprise visit. Lol! Please review.)**_


	10. Face Yourself – Part Two

**No Man's Land**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own the Power Rangers**_

_**Summary: AU. Andros/Ashley Zhane/ Karone Cassie/TJ. Takes place after Countdown to Destruction. On their way back to Earth, the rangers land on a barren planet and face their worst enemies yet…themselves.**_

_**JasonLeeScottFan**: Thanks! I'm glad you think so. I'm trying to make it all make sense. Let me know if I'm achieving that. Please._

_**Vampire's** **Heartache**: I'm happy you love it. Here's the next chapter._

Chapter 10: Face Yourself – Part two

"Okay. Wait." Zhane ordered looking from Ashley to TJ. "You guys have been friends for years and now suddenly you're at each other's throats? Does anyone else see something wrong with this?" Ashley and TJ seemed to deflate at Zhane's words.

"I don't know where that came from." Ashley stated, her voice wavering. "I'm sorry TJ."

"Me too." TJ rubbed his forehead. "It's like I was pissed for no real reason." He looked at Ashley. "Part of me wanted to hurt you."

Andros instinctively wrapped an arm around Ashley. "Let's just finish this."

"Alright." TJ started. "I'll go." He looked to Cassie and grabbed her hand. "Johnny was a friend of mine. We did everything together. He was 17, three years older than me, but it was never really an issue. Four years ago, Johnny decided that we should go to an old lake in the woods just outside of Angel Grove. I didn't think it was a good idea from the beginning, but I went with him anyway. He was my friend." TJ looked down and closed his eyes as tears ran down his face.

"It's okay, TJ." Ashley encouraged. "Keep going."

TJ looked at her and nodded. "The sun was setting by the time we got there and you could barely see past the surface of the water. I told Johnny that we should leave and go back tomorrow when it was light out. He just laughed and pulled a lantern out of the back seat of the car. He told me everything would be fine, and that it would be cooler to swim at night. I didn't argue."

TJ took a deep breath. "There was a rope swing and Johnny thought it would be fun to swing into the lake. I told him not to. I told him he shouldn't, but he just told me to stop being such a loser and that he would prove that there was nothing to it, so he jumped from the swing…but he never came back up. At first I thought he was trying to scare me, so I grabbed the lantern and held it out over the water near where Johnny had jumped. I couldn't see him, but I saw the bubbles and the ripples in the water. I was never a good swimmer so I didn't go in after him. Instead…I ran. I ran through the woods screaming my head off hoping that someone would hear me. Luckily this couple was camping that night and the found me. One of them called for help and the other followed me back to the lake, but I knew it was too late. Even while I was running, I knew it was too late to save him. They found his body the next day. When he jumped, his foot got caught in the wire of an old fishing reel."

"You did everything you could, TJ." Cassie stated. "If you had jumped in there after him, you both would have died."

"Part of me knows that, but part of me can't help but think that he would have gone after me. If I was the one who had been in trouble he would have gone after me."

"No, TJ." Ashley interrupted. "You wouldn't have done anything that dangerous. You warned him and he didn't listen to you. There was nothing you could do. You didn't make him jump in that lake."

"No." He looked at her now. "But I let him die. And it hurts."

"Trust me; I know what you're feeling." Ashley knew it was time to tell all of them what had happened to her family. "I caused my parents' deaths. Yes, I did." She added when she saw TJ about to object. "I was 12 when it happened. A couple of friends from school had talked me into sneaking out and going to a midnight matinee at the movie theater. I waited until my parents were asleep before I snuck out. When I bumped into the table down stairs, I just knew someone had heard me, but no one woke up so I left the house."

Her breath caught as she fought back sobs. "I felt weird that whole night. I wasn't afraid that my parents would catch me. I just felt like something was wrong, that I was running out of time somehow. When the movie was over, I practically ran home. I heard the sirens from two blocks away and saw the smoke before then. I was praying that it wasn't my house, but inside I knew that it was."

She was sobbing now, but she continued. "The fire consumed our whole house. I didn't see my parents outside and I panicked. I nearly made it inside my house, when a fireman grabbed me. I kept yelling that my parents were in there, but they already knew. My parents were asleep in bed, and by the time one of the neighbors reported the fire, it was too late. The firemen couldn't get to them."

"Ashley this was an accident." Karone started. "Why do you think you caused their deaths?"

"Because I started the fire." Tears continued to fall from Ashley's eyes. "My mother loved candles and that night she'd forgotten to blow one of them out. When I bumped into that table on the way out of the house, I knocked a candle over, and started the fire."

Andros wrapped his arms around her as she cried into his shoulder. Everyone was silent because no one knew what to say. Ashley really had been the cause of her parents' death. Accident or not, she snuck out of the house and managed to start a series of events that would end her parents' lives. "I guess I should go now." Andros said more to take the attention away from Ashley than because he wanted to tell his story. He kept his arm around Ashley when everyone looked at him.

He didn't like telling what had happened. In fact, he had never actually _told _anyone. "I've been seeing someone from my past; his name was Landon." He started. "Landon was your typical jerk. He was older and bigger and he constantly picked on me, even though we were both supposed to be rangers. It started out harmless enough, but as we got older, things got more violent. Landon never liked me and I never knew why until it was time for us to officially become rangers." He paused and ran a hand through his hair. "You guys all know that there were rangers before you." He continued when they nodded. "What you don't know is that, originally, I was supposed to be the black ranger." He was happy they didn't say anything; their shocked expressions were enough.

Andros continued. "When it was time for us to officially step up and take our places as rangers, Kin Won and the rest of the council, decided that Landon was too reckless and headstrong to be the leader, so they appointed me. Apparently, the council had been thinking about it since we were kids and somehow Landon found out. And he decided to make my life hell as long as I was the red ranger. The other rangers were all Landon's friends, minus Zhane, and they did whatever he said, which meant doing the opposite of everything _I_ said."

"About a week before Dark Specter attacked KO-35, a distress signal from one of the deserted areas of the planet came through. I talked to Kin Won about it and we both agreed that there was something off about the transmission. So I ordered the team to wait until we had proof that the transmission was authentic."

"But Landon decided that he wanted to be the hero and prove that I was wrong. So he took Zana and Trace, the pink and blue rangers," He looked at Karone and Ashley. "I didn't have the heart to replace the yellow ranger at the time. Anyway, they went out to the point of the distress call and sure enough it was an ambush."

"Zana and Trace were killed immediately." Andros voice was void of emotion, but the others knew it was only a façade. "Landon was taken back to their ship. Zhane and I didn't find him until three days later. They'd tortured him and sent him back beaten and broken…but he wasn't dead. He had a message for me, and he held on long enough to deliver it to me."

"What do you mean?" Cassie asked.

"He means," Zhane interrupted. "That even minutes from death Landon still found a way to get in Andros's head." He looked at Andros. "The fact that he had the audacity to blame you for his half cocked plan was as low as he could get. You didn't do anything wrong."

"That's because you don't know the whole story." Andros took in Zhane's shocked expression.

"What do you mean? What else is there?" Zhane asked.

"When Landon said that I could have stopped this, he was right." Andros took a deep breath. "I knew what he was planning the night before. I heard him talking to Zana and Trace in the bridge. When he was leaving he saw me there, but he never said anything. I should have gone to Kin Won right away, but I didn't. I let them go. I just wanted to knock him off of that fucking high horse of his. I didn't know that three of my teammates would die."

Ashley's hold on Andros tightened. Even though there were different circumstances, choices she and Andros made, cost people their lives. "So what do we do now?"

Before anyone could answer, the door to the observatory came open and Carlos barged in astroblaster in hand. "I just want Astronema." He had dark circles around his eyes and he constantly pulled at his hair with his free hand.

The rangers were immediately off the floor. Zhane stood protectively in front of Karone. "Carlos you have got to calm down." Zhane tried to reach the crazed ranger. "This is Karone, not Astronema."

"I know what she is!" Carlos yelled as he leveled the blaster at Zhane. "She's a murderer. A child killer no less. And apparently a manipulator." He stepped towards them. "She's got a hold on you and Ashley, but once she'd gone, you'll see her for what she really is." He moved towards them again but stopped short. A confused expression flashed across his face before he fell to the floor unconscious.

"Is he okay?" Cassie asked as TJ cautiously knelt down to check his friend's pulse.

"He's alive." TJ said to them and stood.

"How did he get untied?" Karone asked clearly frightened. The fact that Carlos kept calling her Astronema wasn't helping her state of mind.

"By the looks of his wrist my guess is he freed himself." Zhane answered.

"I think the more important question is," Andros started as he kicked the blaster out of Carlos's reach. "How the hell did he get his blaster?"

"Didn't you lock that in the bridge?" Ashley asked and ran her hands through her hair when Andros nodded. "How would he know where to look?"

"Even better question." TJ responded.

"What if something led him to it?" Cassie suggested what they were all thinking. "What if-" She was cut off when a wave of fatigue hit her and her knees went weak.

"Cassie?" TJ was at her side in a heartbeat. "What's wrong? Is it the baby?"

"I don't know." She responded sluggishly as TJ lifted her and put her on the love seat. "I just got really tired." Her eyelids slid closed.

"Cassie?" TJ knelt beside her and shook her but she didn't respond. He looked nervously at the others.

"Zhane." Karone barely whispered. She would have fallen to the floor if Zhane hadn't caught her and lowered her into the recliner.

"Guys," Zhane started lazily. "I think we're in trouble." He slumped to the floor and fell asleep with his head in Karone's lap.

"I think he's right." TJ mumbled as he laid his head next to Cassie and closed his eyes.

Ashley and Andros began to panic as they took in the sight of their now unconscious friends. Their panic only grew when Ashley spoke. "Andros, I don't…" She slumped in his arms and struggled to keep her eyes open.

"No, Ashley." He wrapped an arm around her waist and cupped her face in his other hand. "You have to stay with me." He begged her, but knew it was in vain.

"I'm sorry." Ashley whispered before her head fell limply against Andros's shoulder.

Andros wavered slightly as he felt the fatigue coming on him, like nighttime overcoming the day. He lifted Ashley and lowered them both onto the sofa. With Ashley cradled in his arms, he succumbed to the darkness.

_**(A/N: Hope you liked it. Let me know what you think. Sorry it took me so long to update. But school has been crazy. On the Brightside, classes will be over at the beginning of May and then I'll have plenty of time to write over the summer. On the other hand, you might not get any more updates until classes are over. Sorry, but I must do my course work. Please be patient and don't hate me. Thanks!)**_


	11. Nightmares

**No Man's Land**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own the Power Rangers**_

_**Summary: AU. Andros/Ashley Zhane/ Karone Cassie/TJ. Takes place after Countdown to Destruction. On their way back to Earth, the rangers land on a barren planet and face their worst enemies yet…themselves.**_

_**JasonLeeScottFan**: Glad you love it and as always, glad to hear from you! I can't really explain the fatigue right now, but I can tell you it was necessary and will probably be explained in the end._

_**Vampire's Heartache**: Thanks Again! I decided that I'm going to explain the planet's origin in the end. I can't really stop at this point and go into that. But I will tell you that it's not the planet itself that's doing it, but the presence of something leftover._

_**Sunflowerlily**: First of, Where have you been?! Lol! I missed your reviews. Don't disappear on me again please._

Chapter 11: Nightmares

_**Carlos**_

_He fought his way through the quantrons trying to get to her and the group of people being held captive, who were about to plummet to their deaths. Astronema was having them pushed over the edge of a cliff. He knew his friends were fighting with him and trying to make a way for him to get to her and the others._

"_Sylvie, hold on!" Carlos yelled as he finally pushed his way through the quantrons, but he knew he was running out of time when the first few people started to fall. _

_Sylvie managed to slip away from the quantrons and was running towards him. "Carlos, help!"_

"_Get her!" Astronema commanded._

_Carlos nearly had a hold of Sylvie when Ecliptor appeared and grabbed the little girl slashing Carlos with his sword in the process. _

_Carlos fell to the ground disoriented and wounded. He could hear the people scream as they fell to their deaths, but even in the chaos, one voice stood out._

"_Put me down!" Sylvie struggled in Ecliptor's grasp. _

"_I'll put you down alright." Ecliptor muttered _

"_Carlos!" Sylvie screamed his name as she was thrown over the edge._

_**Cassie**_

_She knew this place like the back of her hand. It was her old house, the one she had lived in before she moved to Angel Grove. Childhood memories played in her head and she smiled remembering. _

_The memories faded when she heard the voices coming from downstairs. She felt an ache in the pit of her stomach as she descended the stairs and the voices got louder._

"_I'm leaving and that's final!" Her father shouted._

"_You can't just leave us!" Her mother countered. "What about me? What about our daughter?"_

"_I never asked for her." He spat._

"_And you think I did?" She pointed to herself. "Why after 10 years do you decide this isn't what you want anymore?"_

"_I never wanted this!" He yelled. "I should have left when I found out you were pregnant!"_

_The shocked expression on her mother's face had Cassie in tears. But what really caught her attention was the 10 year old version of herself that stood in the doorway of the kitchen looking at her parents with tears in her eyes. "Daddy?" The 10 year old cried._

_He looked at her in disgust. "Didn't anyone teach you any manners?" He looked at his soon to be ex wife. "I'm not dealing with this." He turned and walked past his young daughter._

_She quickly ran after him and grabbed his arm. "Daddy, please don't go." She cried. "What did I do?"_

_He looked down at her and snatched his arm away. "You were born." He walked out of their home._

_The younger Cassie sank to her knees and buried her face in her hands as her mother walked into the room. "Go to your room, Cassie." Her mother said emotionlessly._

"_But mommy…"_

"_Go!" She shouted._

_The older Cassie watched as her mother simply vanished from the room and her younger self faced her. "We were the reason he left." The young girl stated. "And mommy wanted to leave us too." She ascended the stairs. "They didn't love us. And no one else ever will."_

"_That's not true." The older Cassie stated when her younger version turned away. "We have TJ and he loves us."_

_When the little girl turned around she no longer resembled the younger Cassie, but a beautiful little girl with long curly black hair and golden brown skin. She looked at Cassie with big brown sad eyes. "And how long before he leaves us too?"_

_Cassie didn't understand how, but she recognized the little girl immediately and put a hand to her stomach and the baby growing inside of her. Cassie shook her head as her the little girl began to walk away._

"_Wait." Cassie ran down the stairs after the little girl, but as soon as she reached the bottom, she doubled over in pain. She wrapped her arms around her stomach as the stabbing pain went through her abdomen._

_The little girl turned towards Cassie with tears in her eyes. "Please, don't let me go." She pleaded and reached for Cassie._

_Cassie strained to reach the girl, but she vanished before Cassie's eyes. "No!" She cried as the pain took over. She knew what this pain meant._

_She was losing her baby._

_**Karone**_

_She couldn't stop it. Karone looked at the ground littered with bodies of the people Astronema had killed._

"_Karone please, I'm your brother."_

_Karone stopped in her tracks at the sound of her brother's voice. "Andros." She followed the sound to its source and saw Andros on the ground badly injured with Astronema standing over him. She wanted to go and help him, but her limbs wouldn't move._

"_Karone please, you don't have to do this." Andros pleaded._

_Astronema placed her staff to his chest. "I am not your sister." The smile she sent him was purely evil. "__**I**__ am Astronema." With those words she plunged the staff into his chest, watching the life drain out of his eyes._

"_No!" Karone screamed and fell to her knees. Astronema pulled the staff out of Andros. Karone watched the blood drip down the handle. "You killed my brother!" She spat. She was on her feet in a flash and lunged at Astronema, but Astronema evaded her._

"_You can't hurt me." Astronema laughed._

"_And why is that?"_

"_Because I __**am**__ you." Astronema stated as if it was an obvious fact. _

"_No." Karone refused to believe that. "You killed Andros."_

"_I didn't kill Andros." Astronema stepped closer to the girl in front of her and began to transform into a mirror image of Karone. "You did."_

_Karone gasped at the sudden weight she felt in her hand. She looked to her right hand, where she held the bloody staff used to kill her brother._

_**Zhane**_

_The demorphed silver ranger sat in the debris holding the limp and broken body of the woman he loved in his arms. "I'm so sorry." Zhane whispered to her and kissed her forehead._

"_You should be."_

_The accusation was gentle, but it caused Zhane's body to tremble. "Krista?" When he looked down at the woman in his arms, tear filled green eyes stared back at him._

_She sat up slowly and painstakingly got to her feet, standing over Zhane. "Why did you leave me?"_

_He tried to reach for her but she drew away from him. "I had to. I'm a ranger, I had a responsibility."_

"_What about me?" She cried and began to move towards him. "I needed you." Tears streamed down her pale white face._

_Zhane turned his head to look at the crumbling wall behind him when he heard it creak. He turned back to find Krista right in front of him. He couldn't hold back his gasp._

_She threw herself into his arms, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Stay with me, Zhane." _

"_I will. I promise." He hugged her, but winced when he felt her grip tighten. "Krista?" When he looked at her this time, her eyes were damning._

"_Stay with me, Zhane…forever."_

_Zhane couldn't see it, but he could feel the gust of wind and hear the groaning cry as the wall fell over them._

_**TJ**_

_TJ found himself standing in front of someone he hadn't seen in almost four years. "Johnny?"_

"_Hey, Teej."_

"_What's going on? You shouldn't be here." TJ looked at his surroundings. Everything from that night was the same. There was a soft breeze in the forest. It gave relief from the heat that came with the summer nights._

"_Let's go for a swim TJ." Johnny's voice wasn't like TJ remembered. It held no real emotion. "I hear the water's nice and cool." Johnny pointed to something behind TJ._

_He turned and saw the lake where his life had changed. The rope swing still hung from a branch. But this wasn't right. They shouldn't be there. "We can't Johnny. It's not safe." TJ said urgently. He couldn't let it happen again._

_Johnny tilted his head slowly to the side. He face was expressionless, but his brown eyes blazed. "What do you mean TJ?" TJ stepped back as Johnny walked towards him. "You mean something bad could happen?" _

_TJ stumbled and nearly fell. When he looked behind him, he realized that he was at the edge of the dock, right over the murky water. He looked back at Johnny and nearly jumped backwards over the edge. _

_Johnny's blond hair was matted and he was soaking wet. His skin was a sickly grey color and his face was contorted in a mixture of pain and rage. "What's the matter TJ?" He spat. "We're just having a little fun." TJ was frozen in fear as a demented smile formed on Johnny's face. "Let's go for a swim." He lunged at TJ and sent the both of them flying into the water. _

_**Ashley**_

_Ashley sat up in her bed her when her watch beeped. She quickly grabbed it and turned it off. When she got out of bed, her reality hit her._

_She wasn't on the Megaship. She was home. The home she shared with her parents before the fire. And upon looking at herself in the mirror, she realized that she was the 12 year old girl she had been then too. She was wearing the same flannel pajama bottoms and yellow tank top she had worn that night before she changed and went to meet her friends at the movies._

"_Mom, dad." Ashley called as she hurried down the hall to her parents' room._

"_Ashley, sweetheart," Mrs. Hammond called sleepily. "What's wrong?"_

_Ashley breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of her parents. Her father hadn't been woken up by her cries. "Sorry mom. Bad dream."_

"_Come here baby." Mrs. Hammond held her arms out to her daughter and Ashley climbed on the bed between her mother and father._

"_I'm just glad you guys are okay."_

_Mrs. Hammond's smile was sickly sweet. "Everything's going to be fine now sweetheart. This is how it's supposed to be." _

_Ashley shifted to look at her mother and her heart nearly stopped. "Mom!"_

_The burnt and disfigured skin on Mrs. Hammond's face stretched as her smile widened. "Hush now baby. You'll wake your father."_

"_No!" Ashley struggled in her mother's grasp as the smell of smoke filled the room. She caught sight of the foot of the mattress and to her horror, saw the fire creeping up towards her. "Mom, please let me go!"_

"_You'd better sleep now. That way, it won't be nearly as painful." With that Mrs. Hammond shut her pitch black eyes._

_Ashley could only scream as the fire consumed her._

_**Andros**_

_He pulled at the straps that bound him to the table. His chest was bare and the coldness from the table sent chills down his spine._

"_You can struggle all you want Andros," An all too familiar voice spoke to him from the shadows. "It won't do you any good."_

"_Landon?" Andros couldn't quite keep his voice from trembling._

"_Ding, ding, ding, give the boy his prize." Landon taunted as he stepped into the light._

_Andros struggled with the straps more but nothing gave. _

_Landon's grey eyes burned into him as he stalked over to Andros and wrapped his hand around the red ranger's throat. "Didn't I say __**not**__ to struggle?" Landon shouted. "You're stuck here, trust me, I know." He released Andros and grinned when he gasped for air._

_Andros watched as Landon strolled casually around the table he was stretched out on. "This place brings back memories." He started. "Pain, fear…longing for death." He leaned over Andros and grabbed a handful of hair. "All of which you'll become very familiar with soon." Landon slammed Andros's head against the table and continued to walk._

_Andros groaned in pain and tried to fight the fear bubbling in him. He knew what was coming. "Landon, please…"_

"_Landon, please." He mocked. "You're so pathetic. I never begged for my life. Even after three days of brutal torture, I __**never**__ begged for life…or death." Andros cringed when Landon leaned in to whisper in his ear. "But you will. You'll suffer and you'll scream and then you'll beg for me to end it." _

_Andros breath hitched at Landon's words. He could hear his own heartbeat pounding in his chest. He watched Landon step back and uncover a tray he swore wasn't there before. Landon's eyes seemed to shine with thoughts of what he would do to Andros with the varying objects of torture laid out before him._

_Landon picked up a scalpel and pulled up a stool out of nowhere. Andros's stomach churned at the sick look of pleasure Landon got from simply holding the scalpel in his hands. "We'll start off small." Landon told him. "And work our way up." Andros couldn't help trembling when Landon put the cold metal of the scalpel against the skin of his chest. "Let's get stated shall we?"_

_Andros screamed as the blade was dragged across his skin._

_**(A/N: It took me way to long to get this chapter out. I hope you guys like it. Thanks for hanging in there. Tell me what you think. Check out my story 'Not as it Seems' if you get a chance.)**_


	12. Sleepwalking

**No Man's Land**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own the Power Rangers**_

_**Summary: AU. Andros/Ashley Zhane/ Karone Cassie/TJ. Takes place after Countdown to Destruction. On their way back to Earth, the rangers land on a barren planet and face their worst enemies yet…themselves.**_

(A/N: In this chapter, keep in mind that everything is pretty much happening simultaneously.)

_**Vampire's Heartache**__: Thanks!_

_**JasonLeeScottFan**__: You'll have to read in order to find out._

_**Sunflowerlily**__: Thanks for continuing to read my stuff with your busy schedule. Be sure to keep me updated._

_**CraneAndFalconForeven**__: You have to read. Lol!_

Chapter 12: Sleepwalking

**_TJ_**

He woke up gasping for air. Once he assured himself that he had only been dreaming, he realized that he was no longer in the Observatory.

"How in the hell did I get in the food hall?" He thought aloud as he pulled himself to his feet. It took him a second longer to realize that he was alone…or so he thought.

"Hey TJ."

"No." TJ barely whispered. "This isn't real. You're not here." Fear laced through his voice.

Johnny stalked around the table towards TJ, his hand trailing along the table leaving wet streaks of murky water in its wake. "Come on TJ." He grinned maliciously. "Let's go for a swim."

"No!" TJ screamed and ran through the door. He turned the corner and ran into the very person he was running from. TJ fell to the ground and dragged himself away from Johnny.

"You can't get away from me and you can't get away from what you let happen!" He spat.

"Please." TJ put his hand out as a feeble attempt to keep his nightmare away. He groaned in pain as Johnny hand clamped over his wrist.

"Does that hurt TJ?" He mocked and grabbed TJ's other wrist, pulling TJ up to his knees. "Imagine what I felt like. Every breath I tried to take only filling my lungs with water." Johnny paused for a second and simply stared at TJ. "Why don't I just show you?"

TJ screamed as Johnny's grip tightened. He could feel the water, the coldness of it creeping up his arms. "Johnny, please." TJ begged as the water crept up his neck. His breath came in short spurts as the water poured into his mouth and down his throat. He thought he heard someone calling to him, but he couldn't see past the gleam in Johnny's eyes as his world began to go black.

**_Zhane_**

He lurched to his feet. Zhane realized that he had been dreaming, but somehow his limbs felt stiff and sore. "The Cargo Bay?" He thought aloud as he realized where he was. "Where is everyone?"

As the soreness he felt began to fade, he made his way towards the Observatory. If he ended up here, where did everyone is end up, and more importantly, where was Karone? He couldn't tell what was wrong, but he had a feeling that he needed to get to her soon. He stepped into the elevator and leaned against the back wall.

"Zhane."

Every muscle in his body tensed. The voice was mocking, almost playful, but he recognized it immediately. As soon as the doors opened, he ran from the elevator. He was stopped in his tracks when he saw her turning the corner towards him. "Krista."

Her smile was grim as she approached him. "Looking for someone?"

"Where's Karone?"

"She has her own problems to deal with. You should be more worried about yourself."

Zhane slowly made his way towards her; he could feel his anger rising with every step. "You're going to tell me where she is."

Her laugh was like music, but her eyes were stone cold. "You won't find her in time and she'll die, just like I did. And it'll be your fault."

"No! I won't lose her." Before he could make his move, she took off down the corridor.

"Catch me if you can." She taunted.

Zhane raced after her. She hesitated for a second outside of the food hall, and that was all he needed. He grabbed a handful of her hair and slammed her into the wall and let her fall to the floor. He quickly straddled her hips and wrapped his hands around her throat. "Tell me where she is!"

"No in this life."

Zhane's grip tightened and she began to struggle beneath him. He took the upmost pleasure in watching her squirm.

_**Cassie**_

She awoke with a start at her post on the bridge. She quickly put a hand to her stomach and breathe a sigh of relief when the pain from her dream was gone. "We're okay. We're okay." She repeated as she ran her hand over her stomach.

Her panic began to rise when she realized that she was alone and not where she had fallen asleep. "TJ? Guys?" She was about to make her way to the exit when he appeared in front of her. "Daddy?" She immediately put a hand protectively at her belly and slowly moved backwards.

"You little whore." He spat. "You got yourself in the same position your mother did. Figures."

"Stay away from us."

"Us?" His laugh was full of malice. "I guess you're referring to that thing inside you. You need to listen to me I'm an expert here." He stepped closer to her and placed his hand on the console. "Get rid of it." He smiled at her. "Don't make the same mistake your mother did, thinking that everything would be okay once the baby got here. TJ will leave you both. Just like I did." He moved his hand and a scalpel lay in its wake. "End it! End it all." He picked up the scalpel and handed it to her.

Cassie's hand slowly closed around the handle of the scalpel. "TJ…"

"Will leave you." He finished. "Even if there was no baby, he would leave you eventually. He would see what I saw. The mistake you were and this child is. Do it Cassie. It's better than being alone isn't it?"

Tears ran down Cassie face as she looked at the scalpel and realized what she had to do. "You left me." Cassie looked at her father. "You left me because you're a coward." Her friends' words filled her head. "TJ loves me and he's no coward. He wouldn't abandon us. And even if he does… I'll be better off."

The vision began to falter. "You listen to me…"

"No you listen to me!" She demanded. "I don't need you. I never did. You're nothing to me anymore." She plunged the scalpel into the chest of the vision and stood back.

The vision of her father dropped to its knees and vanished in a flash of light.

Cassie gasped for air. It felt like a weight she'd been carrying for so long had finally been lifted and she could finally breathe again. As good as she felt now, she knew the others might not be fairing as well.

She quickly made her way through the corridors and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Zhane as she turned a corner. "Zhane, I think I know how to beat it. Shana was right, we have to face it."

"Krista."

At that, Cassie took a closer look at her fellow ranger. His eyes were bloodshot and his breathing was erratic. "Zhane, you have to fight it."

"Where's Karone?"

"Zhane, please. We can find Karone together." She slowly backed away as he moved closer.

"No! I won't lose her."

She saw his attack coming and quickly fled down the hall. She hesitated slightly when she saw TJ on his knees gasping for air. But before she could register what was happening, she was being slammed into the wall. She slumped to the floor and was quickly pinned by Zhane. "TJ!" She cried as Zhane wrapped his hands around her neck.

"Tell me where she is!"

She saw the hatred in his eyes, but still tried to reach him. "Zhane, it's me. It's Cassie." She pleaded, but was answered with his grip tightening. "TJ." She rasped as she felt the world fade around her.

**_Carlos_**

He woke with renewed hatred. Someone had to pay. No, Astronema had to pay. The fact that he was alone and no longer in the observatory never registered to him. He looked to his side and saw his blaster. He grabbed it along with the rope next to it and stealthily made his way out of the engine room.

He turned into the hallway leading to the living quarters where all their bedrooms were. And that's where he saw her. She was standing at the corner peeking around it. She didn't know he was behind her.

"Get her Carlos. Make her pay."

Carlos looked at the little girl who was now beside him and nodded. "I will I promise." He whispered to her, but Astronema must have heard because she turned and grinned coolly at him.

"Looking for me."

"I'm going to kill you." Venom laced his voice.

"You can try." She taunted.

He saw her move to run and fired at the corner causing her to duck and cover, which was exactly what he wanted. He capitalized quickly and was on her in a second. She struggled to no avail. In a quick movement Carlos brought the handle of his blaster down on her head. When she cried out, he did it again, and a third time for good measure.

As she lay on the floor groaning and bleeding from her head, he secured her hands and feet with the rope. Once he finished, he looked at the little girl beside him.

"Take her, do to her what she did to me." Sylvie told him.

Carlos nodded eagerly. "Okay." He grabbed the rope tied to Astronema's hands and dragged her to the engine room and out of the ship.

**_Ashley_**

She woke up screaming as the feel of the flames against her skin faded. It took her mere seconds to realize that she was in her room and alone. "How did I get here?" She thought aloud.

She made for her door when something grabbed her and held her encircled in its arms. She could smell it before she looked. The smell of burnt flesh. She looked over her shoulder and screamed with confirmation. The burnt and mutilated body of her father held her in place. "Let me go!"

"Now that's no way to speak to your father." His voice was rough and tortured.

"Such a disappointment." Ashley's mother appeared in front of her.

"No!" Ashley yelled and closed her eyes. "This isn't real!" But when she opened her eyes, the scorched face of her mother was mere inches away from her.

"Don't I feel real?" She took her daughters hand and pressed it into the scared flash of her face.

Ashley gagged as her fingers sunk in.

"What? You don't appreciate your handy work?" Her father asked. "This is all because f you after all."

"It your fault this happened to us." Her mother added. "If you'd just stayed home like a good little girl, none of this would have happened!" She snapped, then smiled sickly, causing her skin to stretch and tear. "But that will soon be rectified."

Ashley gasped as the walls of her room caught on fire. She tried to convince herself that it was all in her head, but the heat from the flames told her otherwise. "Please, don't do this."

"But it's what you deserve." Her mother scolded. "To die, just like you caused us to die."

That's what did it for Ashley. "You're not my parents." Ashley spat. "It was my fault. I accept that and I will have to live with that fact for the rest of my life. But one other thing I know for sure is that my parents would never hurt me. They would never tell me I deserved to die." She saw the vision of her mother falter and take a step back. At the same time she felt the vice grip on her loosen and used that moment to break free.

The vision of her father groaned in pain. "You can't fight us or what you did."

"You're right I can't fight it. But I don't have to fight it." She looked from the man to the woman in front of her. "All I have to do is let it go." Ashley closed her eyes as the images of her parents cried out as flames consumed them.

Ashley breathed in deeply and opened her eyes to an empty room. She felt different, like a burden had been lifted from her. Her inner battle was over, but now she needed to find the others. She didn't know what condition they might be in, mentally or physically, so she decided to be extra careful.

Ashley opened her door and peered out. Everything was calm. She made her way to the end of the hallway and peeked around the corner. That's when she heard it, the faint whispering behind her. She turned to see a very angry Carlos. His skin was a sickly gray color and his eyes were bloodshot.

"Carlos, it's me Ashley." She tried to talk to him.

"I'm going to kill you."

She thought about running but the shot from his blaster had her ducking and rolling to the floor. Before she could think twice, Carlos was on her. She tried to fight, but he was being driven by pure fury. She briefly saw the blaster in Carlos's hand before he brought it down on her head. She cried out in pain as he hit her again and again. She groaned and squirmed on the floor but could do nothing as he bound her hands and feet and dragged her off to who knows where.

**_Karone_**

"Andros!" She cried for her brother as she came out of her nightmare. She sat up quickly and soon realized that she was in the med bay.

"Sweet dreams I hope."

Karone slowly looked upon the purple haired figure standing at the door of the med bay. She picked up a scalpel off a cart and slowly made her way to Astronema. "Where's my brother?"

"You mean our brother, right?" Astronema mocked.

"No!" Karone spat back. "I'm not you. Now tell me where my brother is now."

"Oh, he's around here somewhere." Astronema answered carelessly and she stepped towards Karone.

"Please just tell me where he is."

Astronema stood directly in front of Karone, took her hand and placed it on her face. "If you don't know where he is, then I don't know where his is. Remember, we're one in the same."

"No!" She shouted and quickly snatched her hand away. "We're not." In one motion she wrapped one arm around Astronema and plunged the scalpel into the princess of evil. She removed the scalpel and stabbed again, before shoving her away.

Karone watched as Astronema stumbled backwards and fell, hitting her head on the corner of a cart on her way down. She stood over Astronema and watched in horror as the image before her changed. The scalpel fell to the floor as Karone screamed.

_**Andros**_

"No!" Andros woke and ran his hand over his torso insuring that he was in one piece. He sat up finding himself in the simudeck. He didn't have time to wonder how he'd gotten there when the voice from his nightmares called to him.

"Did you have a nice nap?" Landon leaned against a wall scowling down at Andros.

Andros slowly made his way to his feet, but before he could brace himself Landon hit him with an uppercut, sending him stumbling back.

"You have no idea how long I've waited for this." Landon's smile was demented as he moved in on Andros.

"Being that you've been dead for two years, I didn't think you could miss anything." Andros countered, earning him another punch to the ribs. He doubled over in pain.

"I'm going to enjoy this." He kicked Andros in the ribs then pulled him to his feet. "It's you're fault I'm dead after all." He shoved Andros and kicked him square in the chest, sending him crashing into the wall.

Andros slid to the floor. His entire body screamed in pain, but somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew the pain he felt wasn't just his own. "Ashley." He whispered. He pulled himself up and tried to make it to the door, but Landon grabbed his hair and threw him back into the room.

"Going somewhere?" Landon stalked over to him. "I didn't get the option to leave and neither do you." He lifted his foot and was about to bring it down on Andros.

Andros held his hands up and grabbed Landon's foot before it could connect. He swept his foot under Landon knocking his tormenter off balance and sending him to the ground. Andros quickly capitalized and straddled Landon.

"This is because of you." Andros accented the sentence with a punch to Landon's face. "You brought what happened to you on yourself." He punched him again. "And worst of all, you took two people with you." He heard the crack of Landon's jaw with his next punch. "You deserved everything that happened to you." All the years of suppressed anger came to the surface. "You were a bastard in life, and you're a bastard in death. Go to hell Landon, and this time, stay there." He punched Landon one last time before the figure disappeared in a flash of light.

Andros felt a release he never thought he would have, but it was short lived. Ashley was in trouble and he needed to get to her now. He ignored his aching body as he ran from the simudeck and down the corridor; he stopped at the med bay when he heard someone shout his name.

"Karone, are you okay?" He frowned as his sister met his gaze and slowly picked up a scalpel on one of the carts and walked towards him.

"Where's my brother?"

"Karone, it's me. It's Andros." He pleaded with her.

"No! I'm not you. Now tell me where my brother is now."

She was hallucinating, but he had to find a way to get through to her. Andros stood in front of her and took her hand trailing it along his face. "I'm your brother Karone. You're twin. Remember, we're one in the same."

"No!" Andros gasped as she shouted and pulled away from him "We're not."

He didn't see it coming. Karone wrapped an arm around him and plunged the scalpel into his stomach. He groaned as she removed it and stabbed him again, before shoving him away.

Andros put his hands to his wounds and stumbled backwards, falling and hitting his head on a cart behind him. The last thing he heard was his sister's screams as darkness claimed him.

**_(A/N: Wow this took a long time to get out! But it was very intricate and worth it…I hope. Please read and review I'd love to find out what you think will happen next.)_**


	13. Losing the Battle

**No Man's Land**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own the Power Rangers**_

_**Summary: AU. Andros/Ashley Zhane/ Karone Cassie/TJ. Takes place after Countdown to Destruction. On their way back to Earth, the rangers land on a barren planet and face their worst enemies yet…themselves.**_

_**JasonLeeScottFan: **__You have to read to find out. ___

_**Vampire's Heartache: **__Yeah that would be really sad, but this isn't a very happy story. Sorry. Lol!_

_**Sammylover**__: I'm happy you like the story. As much as I love Ashley and Andros, this story really center's around them all, so I can't just single them out. If you wanna read stuff more centered on Ashley and Andros, try 'Can't Let Go', 'Unfaithful', and 'Not As It Seems.' Thanks!_

_**(A/N: Be prepared.)**_

Chapter 13: Losing the Battle

_It was Cassie_. TJ thought as he fought his way back to the surface. It had been Cassie that was calling to him.

"Cassie." He struggled to say her name.

"Don't try to fight it TJ." Johnny ordered.

"Let me go!" TJ grunted as it suddenly became easier to breathe. He felt the grip on his wrists falter and pulled himself to his feet. "I warned you. I warned you not to go, but you didn't care. I've suffered so much because of something you did and I won't do it any more." TJ's eyes grew dark. "And I won't let you cost me Cassie." With that TJ shoved Johnny away from him and watched as the imaged liquefied and seemed to melt before him.

TJ only had a moment to enjoy the release before he rushed to Cassie and knocked Zhane away from her. When Zhane tried to go for Cassie again, TJ tackled him to the ground. "Zhane stop!" TJ yelled at the irate man. Not knowing what else to do, he reared back and punched Zhane in the face.

Zhane gasped and his eyes widened. "TJ? What…?" He looked at the floor expecting to see Krista, but saw Cassie instead. "Oh god, what did I do?"

"Help me with her." TJ ordered as he went to Cassie's side and checked her pulse. "She's alive." He scooped her up into his arms and stood. "We need to get her to the med bay."

"I'm so sorry." Zhane said to TJ as TJ rushed through the hall with Cassie in his arms. They turned into the med bay only to find another shock. "Andros!" Andros lay on the floor bleeding from his head and abdomen. Zhane ran to Andros while TJ put Cassie on a bed.

"Is he okay?" TJ called as he waved one of the healing wands over Cassie's injuries.

"I don't know." Zhane responded. "I need you to help me move him."

TJ quickly helped Zhane move Andros to another bed and handed him the other wand before hurrying back to Cassie.

Andros lay pale and unmoving on the bed, while Zhane checked for a pulse. "Come on please." He looked over at TJ and Cassie when he heard Cassie take a deep breath and sit up quickly on the bed.

"TJ!" She gasped. "Zhane-" She looked over and her jaw fell.

"Use the wand." TJ ordered as he and Cassie moved to Andros's side.

"I can't find a pulse. The wand won't work if his heart's not beating."

"He can't be dead." Cassie whispered on the verge of tears.

"Wait." Zhane went deathly still. "I think I felt something. Shhh!" He snapped before they could say anything. He breathed a sigh of relief. "It's faint but it's there. Give me a wand. TJ take the stab wounds, I'll treat the head injury." TJ did as he was told as Zhane waved his wand over Andros's head.

Andros came into consciousness quickly, gasping for air. "Whoa buddy." Zhane quickly and easily held Andros down with his other hand. "We're not done yet. Hold on." He and TJ put the wands down once Andros's wounds had healed. "What happened?"

"Karone." Andros managed to say before he calmed down and got his breathing under control. "She wasn't herself."

"Karone did this to you?" Zhane asked in shock.

Cassie looked at Zhane. "You of all people should know what this planet is capable of making people do."

Zhane turned to Cassie. "I didn't know it was you!" He spat.

"Zhane calm down." TJ stated as he stood protectively in front of Cassie.

"You have to face it Zhane." Andros stated. "It's the only way to beat it."

"You beat it too?" Cassie asked from beside TJ now.

"I think so. I literally feel different." He answered.

"I think I beat it too." TJ put in. "I had to in order to get to Cassie."

Andros paled even more than he already was. "Ashley. That's how I got pass Landon. I felt Ashley, she's in trouble." He hopped off of the bed and headed for the exit. "We have to get to the bridge. We can locate Ashley and the others from there." The four rangers ran to the bridge.

"I'll run a scan for Karone." Zhane called as he moved to his station.

"I've got Ashley." Andros called back.

"We'll take Carlos." Cassie stated for her and TJ.

In a few minutes, which seemed like hours, Zhane finally spoke. "Karone's in her room. I'm going after her."

"Be careful, Zhane." Andros called.

"You sure you should let him go?" TJ asked hesitantly after Zhane rushed out of the room.

"He won't hurt Karone. It's the same as you and me. He'll do anything to save her."

"Right." TJ answered understanding.

"Guys." Cassie said nervously. "I don't think Carlos is on the ship."

"What?" TJ asked turning back to Cassie.

"Ashley's not here either." Andros looked at the other two. "Scan outside. Wherever they are, I have the sinking feeling that they're together."

**_Outside the Megaship_**

She was more alert now, but still not strong enough to fight back. She struggled against him as he pulled her through the sand and dirt. Her legs were rubbed raw and ached as badly as her wrists. And she had a feeling that he was enjoying her struggling. "Carlos, please."

"Shut up!" He turned and kicked her in the stomach. He then grabbed a handful of her hair and pressed his blaster to her head. "Shut up or I'll kill you right now." He watched her close her eyes and nod slowly. "Good. We'll be there soon anyway."

"That's right Carlos. We're almost there, then you can make her pay."

Carlos looked over her at the little girl who spoke to him and smiled. "How much further?" He asked in anticipation.

"Just a few more feet." Sylvie responded with a smile of her own.

Carlos nodded wildly, then looked at whom he saw as Astronema. He grabbed her and threw her over his shoulder and finished the trek to his destination. He threw her to the ground and looked out over the cliff.

Ashley's head spun and she was highly disoriented, but there was one thing she was sure of: Carlos was going to kill her.

_**Megaship – Zhane**_

He rushed through the hallway trying to ignore the voice in his head.

"You won't get to her in time, Zhane."

She wasn't in his head anymore, but right in front of him. "Stay away from me, Krista."

"There's no point in fighting it." She snapped. "You'll fail her, just like you failed me."

"No I won't." He tried to move past her, but she grabbed him and held on, dragging him to the floor. "Let go of me." He struggled in her grasp. She was a lot stronger than she seemed. He grew more and more panicked, but he knew it wasn't just his own. "Karone."

"You'll let her down, Zhane." She taunted him and kissed his cheek. "Just like you let me down."

"You let me down!" He yelled and felt her grip loosen. "I told you to stay at your house, but you didn't listen!" He snapped and began to back her into a wall. "You killed yourself the moment you ignored me and left your house."

The image trembled before him. "No," She stammered. "You-"

"_I_," He cut in. "Am tired of blaming myself. And I won't do it anymore." This time he did walk past her, ignoring the wailing behind him.

He collapsed against the wall, as the feeling overwhelmed him. It wasn't bad though. He felt as if the world had been lifted off of him. But he didn't have time to really enjoy it, he felt Karone's anguish rising and he knew he had to get to her.

_**Karone**_

_I killed my brother_. The image of Andros lying motionless on the floor played over and over again. "I am evil." She said aloud.

"It's about time you got it."

Karone gasped and turned to her reflection in the mirror, the reflection of Astronema. "I didn't mean to."

"But you did." She snapped. "It's in your nature."

"I don't want to hurt anyone else." She cried.

"There's only one way you can protect everyone." Astronema's eyes went dark. "You have to kill Astronema."

Karone jumped back and knocked over the vase on the dresser next to her. She eyed the broken glass at her feet. She knelt down and picked up the biggest shard.

"You know what you have to do." The reflections eyes practically glowed. "Do it before you hurt someone else.

Karone put the shard to her throat and watched as her reflection did the same.

"No!"

Karone turned to see Zhane standing in the doorway. "Don't come any closer." She warned. "I don't wanna hurt you too."

"You won't hurt me Karone." He made a move to step forward but stopped when she pressed the glass into her skin.

"I killed Andros." She ignored the pain and the trickle of blood dripping down her neck.

"No you didn't." He assured her. "Andros is alive and he sent me to make sure that you're okay."

"He's lying." The reflection spat at her. "You killed him. You saw him lying there."

"You're lying." She told Zhane.

"I wouldn't lie to you. I love you Karone. You're not evil."

Karone lowered the glass and sobbed. "She's still in my head."

Zhane rushed to her and held her in his arms. "You can fight it."

"No you can't. And now he's only in the way." The voice taunted. "Get rid of him. Get rid of him now!"

"No!" In one motion she shoved Zhane away and plunged the glass into Astronema.

**_Outside the Megaship – Carlos and Ashley_**

Ashley knelt at the cliff, her feet and hands still bound. "Carlos, please look at me!" She begged and groaned when he grabbed a handful of her hair and tried to push her forward. She clutched on to the hand buried in her hair.

"Let go you bitch! This is what you deserve!" He looked beside him and saw Sylvie smiling up at him.

"You can do it Carlos. Make her pay."

"I will, Sylvie, I promise." His voice softened and so did his grip.

Ashley took this opportunity to elbow him in the side and pitch herself backwards, away from the cliff.

Carlos groaned but quickly recovered. He grabbed Ashley's bound feet and stepped over her, putting his foot at her throat. "You know what?" He spat, pulling out his blaster again. "Forget the cliff, this works just fine." He leveled the gun at her.

"Carlos!"

Ashley felt the hope rise in her when she heard Andros's voice.

"Put it down Carlos." Andros took a step forward.

"I'm sorry, but I can't let Astronema live after what she did."

"That's not Astronema." TJ added. "Astronema's gone. You're holding Ashley."

Carlos looked down at his captive as his vision blurred. When it cleared, he saw the tearstained face of one of his closest friends. "Ashley?" His voice trembled slightly as he moved his foot.

"Talk to him Ashley." Andros ordered, keeping a close eye on Carlos.

"It's me, Carlos. It's Ashley. I'm your friend, remember?" She slowly tried to push herself away from him.

"Don't let her get away!"

Carlos looked at the little girl and quickly turned on Ashley again. "No!" He planted his foot on her stomach this time and pointed the blaster at her once more.

"Don't make me do this Carlos." Andros leveled his own blaster at his friend.

"You wouldn't dare." Carlos hissed.

"Please, Carlos. You have to fight it." TJ begged.

Tears ran down Carlos's face as he lowered his blaster. Something in him broke. "I can hear her in my head. I can't make it stop."

"Sylvie's gone, Carlos." Andros tried to reason. "You couldn't save her. It wasn't your fault."

"I tried." Carlos tensed as he felt the anger begin to flood him again. "Shoot me." He ordered Andros.

"Carlos-"

"Shoot me!" He yelled and with a trembling hand pointed his blaster at Ashley once again. "Kill me or I'll kill her."

"Andros!" Ashley cried.

"You can beat it." TJ urged his friend.

"I can't." He groaned. The need to pull the trigger was overwhelming and the small voice in his head wouldn't stop. He looked from TJ, to Andros, to Ashley. "Forgive me. And tell them I'm sorry."

He turned the gun on himself.

**_(A/N: Had to leave y'all with a cliffhanger. Lol! You should be able to tell that someone is going to die. The question is who. I already know. See if you can figure it out.)_**


	14. The Bitterest Pill

**No Man's Land**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own the Power Rangers**_

_**Summary: AU. Andros/Ashley Zhane/ Karone Cassie/TJ. Takes place after Countdown to Destruction. On their way back to Earth, the rangers land on a barren planet and face their worst enemies yet…themselves.**_

_**JasonLeeScottFan: **__(Sigh) I told you this wasn't going to be a happy story. But congrats for guessing who it is. ___

_**Vampire's**__**Heartache: **__The answer to your question is yes. And I'm so happy you noticed the word choice I used. You are absolutely right about who's gonna die, and yes this is a sad story_

_**Mita427:**__ Good to know! Lol! Here you go._

_**CraneAndFalconForeven**__: Ummm…Sorry. Lol!_

Chapter 14: The Bitterest Pill

_**Megaship**_

The glass shard shattered against the mirror. Karone stood, looking at the reflection of herself in the cracked mirror. The feeling was overwhelming and she nearly fell to the floor, but Zhane caught her.

"Are you okay?" He whispered.

She'd almost forgotten he was there. "I think so. I feel different."

Zhane sighed with relief until he felt the wetness on his shoulder. "You're bleeding." He took her injured hand in his. "Let's get you to the med bay."

She nodded and leaned against him as they walked through the hall to the med bay. Zhane quickly treated her hand and the two made their way to the bridge, where Cassie waited anxiously.

"Zhane, Karone," She rushed to them. "Are you guys okay?"

"Yeah." Zhane answered. "I think we both beat it."

"You said Andros is okay." Karone looked from Zhane to Cassie. "Where is he? And where are the others?"

"Andros and TJ went to find Carlos and Ashley." Tears formed in Cassie's eyes. "I haven't heard anything from them yet."

"They have to be okay." Karone cried.

Just then, red, yellow, blue, and black light filled the bridge. "Zhane teleport us to the engine room." Andros called as TJ hurried to Cassie.

"Andros-" Karone started.

"Zhane now!" Andros ordered, but he knew it was too late when he heard Cassie's scream.

"Carlos!" Cassie pushed past TJ and fell to her knees beside Carlos. She had to fight the nausea that began to rise when she looked at the gaping hole in his chest. She covered her mouth as TJ wrapped his arms around her.

"No." Karone whimpered and quickly buried her head in Zhane's shoulder.

Zhane's squeezed his eyes shut and hugged Karone. "What happened?"

"He shot himself." Ashley finally spoke. Her voice was raw and shaky. "He did it so he wouldn't shoot me." She felt Andros's arms come around her and leaned into him. Her whole body ached and his grip on her wasn't helping, but she needed that closeness.

Andros kissed her forehead and looked at TJ and Zhane. "We need to move him. We can put him in the cryogenic chamber." It would only be for preservation, but he didn't think he needed to vocalize that.

"TJ and I can do it." Zhane volunteered. "You take care of Ashley."

"Are you sure?" Andros asked.

"Yeah." TJ answered. "Go ahead."

Andros nodded and helped Ashley up, draping her arm over his shoulder and wrapping his arm around her waist. Ashley buried her face in Andros's neck as they walked by Carlos on out of the bridge.

Zhane gently pushed Karone away and cupped her face in his hands. "Can you teleport us to the engine room?"

She nodded slowly as Cassie moved to her side. Together, they teleported the other three to the engine room.

**_Med Bay_**

Andros was just finishing running the healing wand over Ashley when the four remaining team members entered.

"We finished." Zhane stated. His color was all but gone and his voice shook as he spoke, but his face was blank.

Andros helped Ashley sit up on the bed. There was a question hanging in the air that he didn't want to answer. 'What were they supposed to do now?' Before any one could vocalize anything, the lights in the med bay began to flicker.

"What's happening?" Zhane asked. He was answered by the lights going completely off.

But as quickly as they went off, they came back on again.

"All systems are ready. Prepared for lift off."

"DECA?" The six remaining rangers asked simultaneously.

"Waiting for your command Andros." The AI responded.

"Let's get to the bridge." Andros ordered. Once there, they all took their positions at the consoles.

"Engine and thrusters are online." Ashley reported.

"Back up power fully charged." TJ added.

They all turned to Andros, waiting for his command. "DECA," He stated. "Lift off."

They held their breath until the Megaship was air born and traveling out of the atmosphere.

"Oh my god." Cassie whispered.

"What's going on?" Karone asked.

The planet and its atmosphere vanished from the viewing screen.

"DECA, scan the area for any nearby planet." Andros ordered.

"My sensors detect no planet." DECA responded.

"Look up these coordinates." Andros gave new instructions. "Go back as far as you can and look up its history." He looked at his remaining teammates. "If one of us had to die, I damn well wanna know why."

"Carlos is dead?" The AI asked.

"Yes DECA." Karone answered.

"The task assigned will take a while. I will notify you once complete." The AI stated as if trying to avoid the information it was given.

"You guys rest up." Andros said to the others. "We'll meet in the Observatory when DECA notifies me."

They all nodded in agreement and left the bridge.

**_Karone and Zhane_**

Zhane and Karone lay facing each other on the bed. They tried to sleep, but images of the past few days kept plaguing their dreams. So they were content to just lie in each other's arms.

"I love you." Zhane stated out if nowhere.

Karone couldn't fight back the tears. "I know. And I love you too."

He could see in her eyes where her thoughts had gone. "You can't blame yourself Karone. If anything you have to know that."

"It was Astronema who killed those people, who killed Sylvie, but I remember it, and it hurts. And it hurt Carlos…"

"Shhh," He put a finger to her lips. "What happened to Carlos affected us all, but we can't change what happened. No matter how much we want to."

"That doesn't make it any easier."

"I know." He pulled her closer and they both drifted into a restless sleep.

**_Cassie and TJ_**

After going to the med bay to make sure the baby was healthy, TJ and Cassie made their way to TJ's room.

Cassie lay sobbing softly in TJ's arms. "I can't believe he's gone." She whispered.

TJ kissed her forehead. "I know." He tried changing the subject, he didn't want her anymore upset than she already was. "What do you say we find a place for you, me, and our son or daughter."

"Daughter." Cassie smiled a little for the first time in a while. "I saw her. I don't think that part was just a dream."

"We're having a little girl?" TJ asked, feeling his need to protect them rise.

She turned to face him. "Yeah. She was beautiful." Cassie looked thoughtful for a moment. "We should name her Carla."

TJ felt the tears sting his eyes. "It's a good name." He wrapped her arms around Cassie and pulled her close.

**_Ashley and Andros_**

Andros was worried about Ashley. She hadn't said a word since they left the bridge and she remained silent as they sat in the observatory. He couldn't stand the silence any longer. "Ashley?" He cradled her face in his hands. "Please talk to me."

She turned eyes filled with unshed tears on him. "I keep telling myself that if I don't talk about it, then it won't be real."

"I know." He grabbed her in an embrace.

"How are we gonna explain this to his family? And Marissa?" Ashley slowly pulled away from him. "She'll be devastated. Who's gonna believe this?"

"We have Shana's tape, and we have the coordinates and DECA's print outs and scans of the area. The planet appeared and disappeared and we have that proof."

"So we prove it. What's going to stop people from going there and investigating? What's going to happen to the people who do investigate?"

Andros tried to think of something else to say, but she was right. No one would question them because they were the Power Rangers. And People would go there. Whether it was for more proof, simple curiosity, or even a tourist attraction, people would go. "You're right." He whispered. "We have to do something to keep people from going back there."

"What do we do?" Ashley inquired.

"Andros." DECA interrupted. "I have finished the search."

"We'll talk everything over with the others then figure out what to do after we look at what DECA found." Andros stated and stood. "Let's go."

**_(A/N: Sad huh? Sorry. Don't worry, this story is almost over anyway and I can get back to the one's with a more positive note. Tell me what you think.)_**


	15. Why?

**No Man's Land**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own the Power Rangers**_

_**Summary: AU. Andros/Ashley Zhane/ Karone Cassie/TJ. Takes place after Countdown to Destruction. On their way back to Earth, the rangers land on a barren planet and face their worst enemies yet…themselves.**_

_**(A/N: Sodium **__**Pentothal is also known as truth serum. **__** I looked up Carlos's last name on IMDB and it said Valerte. If it's wrong blame them. Lol!)**_

_**Vampire's Heartache: **__Thanks! Sorry to keep you all waiting._

_**JasonLeeScottFan**__: This whole story is sad. I really need to write lighter stuff. All three of the stories I'm doing are on a dark path right now. Anyway, yeah it's gonna be hard on Carlos's family and friends._

_**SunshineBear01**__: I'm glad you're enjoying it. I tried to make something exciting._

_**Monica **__**perry**__: Lol! I know what you mean. I do like Ashley/Andros, but I also like to get into other relationships as well. And no you didn't talk too much. I love feedback. Here's the next chapter._

Chapter 15: Why?

_**Observatory**_

Ashley and Andros sat looking at the data DECA had found for them. "This can't be real." Ashley stated.

Andros glanced at her. "You'd think after everything we've been through that you would be a little more open minded."

"I know," She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "But this is beyond me. After all these years, how can that much energy still exist and keep growing?"

"We'd better call the others and fill them in. DECA," Andros alerted the AI. "Call the others to the Observatory."

Ashley laid her head on Andros's shoulder. "How are we gonna explain this to them?"

"It's pretty cut and dry." He grabbed her hand.

"So we just tell them that we landed on some kind of ghost planet?" She asked sarcastically.

"Ghost planet?" TJ asked as he, Cassie, Zhane, and Karone entered the observatory.

Andros and Ashley looked at their friends in the entryway. "You guys better sit down." Andros stated.

"What did DECA find?" Karone asked.

Andros looked to Ashley who squeezed his hand reassuringly. "Before I tell you guys, you need to understand something. Earth is way behind in technological advances. But compared to the Athos System, KO-35 is primitive."

Four jaws dropped in awe. "What were they doing here?" Zhane asked.

"The system itself consisted of five planets all in close communication with each other." Ashley took over. "The four larger planets were the normal civilized living planets, but the fifth planet was their prison colony."

"Let me guess," Cassie started. "That's the planet we were on."

"Yeah." Ashley sighed. "If it were only used as a prison colony, we wouldn't be in the situation we are now."

"What do you mean?" TJ asked.

Andros started again. "The colony wasn't that big. There were about 90,000 including the inmates, the officials and their families…and the scientist."

"Crime wasn't a big issue in this galaxy and there were prisons on each individual planet, but they were for people who stole or other minor crimes. The prison colony was set up for the harsher criminals." Ashley stated.

"Meaning, the murderers, rapists and all together psychos." Andros finished.

"The scientist on the colony struck a deal with the government of all four planets, they wanted to try and eradicate crime. So they started experimenting on the inmates. The scientist wanted to try and isolate the gene that made the inmates commit criminal acts and eradicate that gene from the population." Ashley took the lead again.

Andros picked up. "The scientist decided to use a drug cocktail. It was a combination of Sodium Pentothal and hallucinogenic. They were trying to get the inmates to see what they had done and using brain scans, they hoped to find any anomalies that would attribute to the violent behavior. Some of the inmates showed miraculous progress. They ended up facing what they had done and showing true remorse. Those inmates were released under probation and kept under a watchful eye."

"Why do I get the feeling that there is a very big down side to this?" Zhane asked rubbing his temples.

"Because there is." Ashley answered. "Everyone's body reacts differently to certain things. Unfortunately, the majority of the inmates showed adverse reactions to the drug. All of the drug therapy was done under sedation, but there were inmates who began to hallucinate outside of the controlled environment. And outside of that environment, the scientists couldn't control what the inmates saw."

Ashley sighed and continued. "There was an uproar. Hundreds of prisoners and guards were killed. Luckily, the government intervened and settled things down before the inmates could breach the prison walls and get to the rest of the civilians."

"Unfortunately, the government had to explain what happened, so they used the scientist as scapegoats and claimed that they had no idea what the scientist had been doing." Andros started when Ashley stopped. "Therefore the scientists were sent to the prison colony. However there was one scientist who didn't really go for that. He killed himself in order to avoid the prison sentence, but not before he drugged the prison colony's water supply."

"All those people." Cassie gasped and put a hand to her stomach. "What happened to them?"

Andros hesitated. "The government decided to count its loses when they found out what was happening. They destroyed the planet."

"What?!" Karone asked outraged. "How could they destroy a planet and get away with it?"

"The populous was told that the planet was destroyed by hostile invaders." Andros said dryly. "We don't think anyone actually believed that, but the people were too afraid to do anything about it."

"Wait." TJ interrupted. "Are you guys saying that Carlos's death was caused by fucking ghosts on a ghost planet?!"

"It's the only thing we could come up with." Ashley responded. "The planet was first spotted about 6 months after it was destroyed. It appeared off and on from there. A government research team went out to explore the coordinates and never came back. People slowly started leaving the system until it was completely deserted."

"I don't believe this." TJ stated shaking his head. "There are no such things as ghost."

"And I'm sure there was a point when you didn't believe monsters existed." Andros snapped. "Look if you have a better explanation we're all ears."

"Andros." Ashley whispered and wrapped an arm around him.

He hugged her back. "I'm sorry TJ."

"It's okay. I just don't know how were gonna explain this to his family."

"We're not." Ashley kept talking when she received four surprised stares. "We decided that we need to tell NASADA the truth, but as far as everyone else will know, we were attacked in hostile territory and Carlos sacrificed himself to save me." She felt the tears coming as she spoke but fought them back. She knew Carlos's family would look to her and TJ for answers. The three of them had been friends since 8th grade.

Cassie couldn't hold back her tears. Marissa was one of her best friends. Cassie had been the one to introduce Carlos and Marissa in the first place. "How long until we reach Earth?" Cassie asked softly.

"We will be approaching Earth's atmosphere in approximately 2 hours." DECA's voice filled the room.

Andros sighed. "Contact NASADA headquarters under level 5 classification."

A few minutes later, the three heads of NASADA showed up on screen: the president, vice president and the head of Intergalactic Affairs. "Why the level 5 Andros?" The president inquired. "And why are you and your team so delayed?"

"That's why the level 5 is in place. No one else hears about this conversation." Andros quickly and efficiently went through everything that happened in the last few days. "Our arrival needs to be kept private until we can notify Carlos's family."

There was complete silence until the VP spoke. "You have to understand how hard this is to believe."

"We're sending you the data we collected now. Sort through it yourself and come to your own conclusion. We still need to get Carlos's family to NASADA's headquarters and we have to give a statement to the public." The look of curiosity on the head of IGA's face worried Andros.

"You'll have everything you've asked for by the time you reach Earth." The president stated and ended the transmission.

"Who else has a bad feeling about this?" Cassie asked.

The others each raised a hand.

"We just have to let what happens happen." Andros stated somberly.

_**Earth**_

"They're waiting for you in the president's office, he said you all could use that room." A hostess informed the rangers of Carlos's family's whereabouts.

"Thanks." Ashley stated as the hostess left. She turned to the Karovans. "Could you guys wait for us? Please." She didn't have to explain why.

"Yeah." Andros answered and kissed her forehead.

She turned to TJ and Cassie. "You guys ready?"

"No." TJ answered.

Ashley nodded. "Me neither." The three of them walked down the hall to the president's office where Mrs. Valerte, Carmen, and Marissa waited.

Marissa spotted them first. "They're here." She said to Mrs. Valerte and Carmen.

Carmen stepped forward, tears already present in her eyes. "Where is my brother?"

It was TJ who came forward and took the woman's hands. "I'm so sorry." He whispered. TJ held her as she buried her head in his shoulder and cried for her brother.

Ashley rushed to Mrs. Valerte as she fell to the ground in tears.

Cassie slowly approached Marissa and put her hand on her friend's shoulder.

Marissa turned towards Cassie and slowly shook her head. "No." It was the only thing she could muster before she completely broke down.

_**(A/N: Sorry about the delays on this story. I hope the why of everything isn't too out there. It was the best I could come up with. Good news is, there's only one more chapter left. Bad news is, yes Carlos is dead and he's not coming back. Let me know what you think.)**_


	16. Goodbye

**No Man's Land**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own the Power Rangers**_

_**Summary: AU. Andros/Ashley Zhane/ Karone Cassie/TJ. Takes place after Countdown to Destruction. On their way back to Earth, the rangers land on a barren planet and face their worst enemies yet…themselves.**_

_**SunshineBear01: **__I know it's sad._

_**Vampire's**__**Heartache**__: Thanks! Sorry I didn't make you cry though. Lol! _

_**JasonLeeScottFan: **__Thank you! To clear things up, it wasn't the planet itself, the planet was the manifestation of the negative energy left over from the people who died. Hope that clears it up, if not I'll try to explain it better._

_**Emily**__**bradit**__: Thanks! This whole story was kinda sad. But don't worry, here's the last chapter! Enjoy!_

Chapter 16: Goodbye

"Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust." The priest concluded.

The six remaining friends stood side by side watching as their teammate and friend's body was lowered into the ground.

It had taken weeks to get to this point. Weeks of press conferences and meetings with the three heads of NASADA. Things that had to be done before they laid their friend to rest.

Everyone wore black. Though the traditional funeral color, today, it represented Carlos and what he stood for.

Carmen and Mrs. Valerte met the rangers as they walked away from the grave site. "You all meant so much to him." Mrs. Valerte started. "Thank you for brining him home." She looked to Ashley and TJ. "And thank you for speaking on behalf of my Carlos. And remember that all of you are always welcome in my home." She hugged them again and said her goodbyes.

Carmen turned to Cassie before she left. "Marissa wants to talk to you. She's right over there." She looked at the others. "Thanks again. Bye." She trailed her mother.

Cassie ran a hand over her now swollen belly. "I'll be back."

"Okay." TJ kissed her forehead and let her go.

"I don't ever want to go to anything like this again." Zhane whispered.

"Me neither." Karone responded. "This is definitely an Earth tradition that I don't want to get acquainted with."

Andros nodded and looked at Ashley who seemed far away. "Ashley? What's wrong?" She was thinking about something other than Carlos. He could feel it.

"My parents are buried here." She answered. "I haven't been to their graves in…years."

"Let's go now." Andros stated squeezing her hand. "Together."

Ashley nodded. "I think it's about time." She began to lead Andros to where her parents laid.

Karone, Zhane and TJ stood in silence until TJ spotted someone he never expected to see, least of all here. "Ms. Arnold."

"Who?" Zhane asked looking at the woman approaching them.

TJ sighed. "Sylvie's mother."

Zhane nearly had to manhandle Karone to keep her from running away.

"Hello TJ." Sylvie's mother stated with tears in her eyes.

"Hi, Ms. Arnold." TJ hugged her and turned her towards his friends. "This is Zhane and this is-"

"I know who she is." Ms. Arnold stated and surprised everyone by stepping forward and taking Karone's hands. "You're the girl they brain washed into believing she was evil."

Tears flooded Karone's eyes and streamed down her face. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

"What's you're name?" She gently cut the sobbing girl off.

"K-Karone." She stammered.

"Well Karone, evil killed my daughter. And that evil was destroyed." She took Karone's face in her hands now. "You are not evil and you are not to blame for what happened to my baby."

If it were possible for anyone to actually cry their eyes out, Karone was practically there. Just when she thought she was about to fall, she felt someone holding her up. She quickly realized that it was Ms. Arnold. "Thank you." Karone cried. She didn't believe that Ms. Arnold could possibly understand how much she'd needed to her those words.

"It's okay. I only wish I had the chance to tell Carlos." She gentle turned Karone to Zhane who quickly embraced her. "I need to speak with Carlos's family." She hugged TJ. "Don't be strangers."

"We won't." TJ answered and watched as Ms. Arnold made her way to Mrs. Valerte. "Carlos," He whispered to himself. "Wherever you are, I hope you heard that."

_**Cassie and Marissa**_

"Hey." Cassie stood in front of her best friend not really knowing what to say. "You wanted to talk to me?"

"Yeah." Marissa couldn't help but look at Cassie's now swollen belly. "When are you due?"

Cassie ran a loving hand along her belly. "Four months. It's a girl." She looked at Marissa. "We're naming her Carla."

Marissa put her hand to her mouth and fought back tears.

"Rissa, I'm sorry-"

"No, it's a good name." Marissa wiped the tears from her eyes. "I was actually wondering when you and TJ were getting married."

Cassie frowned in confusion and then looked at the sapphire stone in her engagement ring. "Well, we're going to wait awhile. Probably until after the baby is born."

"Don't." Marissa stated firmly. "Don't wait to begin the rest of your life with the man you love."

"But with everything going on right now-"

"That's exactly why you shouldn't wait." Tears fell once again as Marissa put her hand to her mouth.

"Carlos asked you to marry him." Cassie whispered as she looked at the onyx ring on her best friend's left hand. She couldn't believe she hadn't noticed it before.

"I couldn't put it on until today." Marissa stated as if responding to Cassie's thoughts. "He asked me to marry him before he left for KO-35. He asked me to marry him that night." She looked at Cassie. "And you know what I told him? I told him to wait until he came home and then we could start our lives together."

"Oh Marissa." Cassie embraced her friend.

Marissa pulled back. "Do you understand? I would give anything to have been with him as his wife for that one night. Don't make the same mistake I did. Promise me."

Cassie nodded. "I promise."

_**Ashley and Andros**_

"You doing okay?" Andros asked as he wrapped his arms around Ashley and rested his chin on her shoulder.

Ashley turned her head and kissed his jaw, resting her hands on his where they wrapped around her waist. "Thanks for giving me some time alone."

"Anytime."

"Thought you guys would be here." TJ stated as he and the others made their way over. "We aren't interrupting are we?"

"No," Ashley answered. "We were just going to look for you guys."

"Everyone's heading for Mrs. Valerte's house." Cassie stated.

"I know that look." Ashley told Cassie. "What's going on?"

Cassie looked to TJ then back at Ashley. "TJ and I are getting married tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Ashley asked, just as surprised as everyone else.

"It's not going to be anything big." TJ amended. "We just want to make it official."

"We'll have a big wedding after the baby is born." Cassie picked up. "This will be really intimate. You guys…and Marissa."

"Marissa's okay with this?" Ashley asked.

"It was actually her idea." Cassie explained what Marissa had told her. "I can't give her what she really wants, but I can give her this. I promised her."

"I understand." Ashley stepped forward and hugged Cassie. "Let's get out of here."

They really did mean to leave, but as they walked by Carlos's grave they couldn't help but stop. His grave was completely covered and the cemetery was now quiet.

"She never blamed him." Karone suddenly stated.

"Who never blamed who?" Andros asked.

"Sylvie's mom. She never blamed Carlos or me. She said so herself." Karone responded.

Ashley let out a choked sob. "Well she's only a little late."

"Ash, no one could have known." Andros hugged her.

"I know. I know I'm being irrational. It just…hurts." She knew her friends understood. Carlos had sacrificed himself to protect her. A part of her was still dealing with that.

They stood there, side by side in silence.

"We'd better go before people start looking for us." Zhane stated somberly.

"You're probably right." TJ sighed. "Let's go."

Everyone turned to leave except for Ashley and Andros. The others kept going as Ashley stepped away from Andros and closer to her fallen friend's grave.

Ashley knelt beside Carlos's grave. There were so many things that she wished she could tell him but in the end she was able to sum it up. "Thank you." She whispered, pressing her fingers to her lips and then against the cold stone. "Goodbye, Carlos." She turned and walked back to Andros who she knew would be waiting.

He wrapped an arm around her and kissed her forehead. He wanted to tell her that he was there for her and how much he loved her. But looking into her eyes he realized he didn't have to. Some things didn't have to be spoken. Some things you just know.

_**Epilogue: Five years later…**_

The six stood there together, just like they had five years before and every year after. Things had changed.

"How's Marissa doing?" TJ asked Cassie.

"She's a lot better." Cassie stated. "She'll never get over Carlos, she made that clear, but she moving on. She finally accepted her boyfriend's proposal. They're coming to town tomorrow."

"I can't wait to see them." TJ responded. The other's nodded.

"How's Carla doing with her new baby brother?" Ashley asked TJ and Cassie.

Cassie and TJ just had their second child, a boy they named Travis. "She's loving it." TJ answered. "We've got great kids." He beamed.

"Yeah you do." Andros commented. "I hope ours is like that." He ran his hand along Ashley's very pregnant belly. She was due any day now.

"Who'd have thought that you two would be the last to have kids?" Zhane teased.

"Who'd have thought you two would start having kids and never stop?" Ashley countered. "What is it now, six?"

Karone touched her baby bump. "This is only number four."

"Have to two ever heard of contraception?" Cassie teased. "At least pace yourselves between children."

"Well when the moment strikes we aren't really thinking about those things." Zhane responded.

"How do you even find the time with all those kids in the house?" TJ asked out of curiosity.

"Well," Karone started.

"Okay." Andros interrupted. "Things we're not allowed to talk about in my presence: Zhane, Karone, and anything to do with their," He paused and cringed. "Sex life."

The others had to laugh.

"It's a part of life Andros." Karone stated. "Grow up."

"If any one of you brings it up again, I'll fire you all. I don't care if you don't work for me Karone." He quickly added. "I'll fire Zhane."

"Taking your new role seriously now, huh?" TJ said between laughter.

"How come you get to be President of NASADA?" Zhane complained.

"Because they appointed me." Andros stated dryly.

Ashley could feel the change in him. "We did everything we could to stop them. We warned them countless times not to go there, but they did it anyway. It wasn't our fault."

Two months ago, the president and vice president of NASADA, the head of IGA along with five other crew members went to explore the Athos system… None of them returned.

"I know." He gently squeezed her shoulder. "This way we can prevent anyone else from going to that system."

"Wait a minute." Zhane suddenly spoke. "How come you didn't promote me to anything?" He pointedly asked Andros, affectively lightening the mood.

"Because Ashley is a great VP and TJ is great in the IGA position." Andros answered simply.

"But Ashley won't start until after her maternity leave."

"That's why I have Tykwa here temporarily."

"Why not Cassie, Karone, or me?"

"First off, I needed people who wouldn't want to go back to that system. I passed up Cassie because she wanted to be a stay at home mom." Cassie nodded in agreement. "And Karone has no choice but to be a stay at home mom because no one wants to watch your crazy children."

"Hey!" Karone exclaimed. "I resent that."

"Sure you do." Andros responded and turned to Ashley. "I really hope it's not genetic."

"I think it's more Zhane than Karone." Ashley stated.

"Hey!" Zhane exclaimed this time.

"Anyway," Andros continued ignoring him. "I didn't pick you for the VP spot because I couldn't run the company and watch you at the same time. And as far as the IGA goes, I didn't want an intergalactic war on my hands."

"Okay, first of all." Zhane started. "I am not that bad. Second, my kids are not that bad." Just then, TJ's cell phone rang.

"Hey mom." TJ answered then winced as he listened. He took the phone away from his ear and looked at Zhane. "It's for you." He handed Zhane the phone.

"We so shouldn't have left their kids with your mother." Cassie stated.

"Hello." Zhane said cautiously into the phone and winced. "They can be a little hyper. But we warned you not to give them candy and-" He paused and listened. "They climbed on the cabinet and got it themselves." He listened to her rant some more. "Well if you can herd them into a room with no valuables and lock them in, they should be fine until we get there. And don't worry I'll pay for everything. Sorry about that." Zhane hung up and handed the phone back to TJ. "I think your mom hates our kids."

"What did they do?" Karone asked hesitantly.

"Well, TJ's mom is remodeling some things and they kind of got a hold to the paint and decided to paint everything they could get they're hands on. And somewhere along the line Zena and Ky flooded the bathroom and Kayden broke a ceiling fan. How he managed that, I don't know, but I'm sure he did it."

"Andros you better drive us back now." TJ commented, imagining the chaos Zhane and Karone's kids caused. "Wait where were Carla and Trav?"

"Wow I was hoping you didn't ask that." Zhane commented.

"Zhane." TJ said in all seriousness.

"Your mom was upstairs putting Trav to sleep. That's one of the reason's she didn't know what was going on downstairs. The main reason she didn't know is because Zena and Kayden kind of duct taped Carla to a chair and taped her mouth closed."

"Zhane, you better hope we don't get to your kids before you do." Cassie warned. "Andros let's go now." She ordered.

"We're gonna have to stop at the hospital first and TJ you're driving." He said throwing TJ his keys.

"What happened?" Karone asked.

"My water broke." Ashley stated.

"All right, let's go." Zhane and Karone hurried for Andros's red SUV with TJ and Cassie on their heels.

"Andros," Ashley looked into hazel eyes and smiled. "Our baby's coming."

Andros leaned in and kissed her.

"Hey, less kissing more walking." Zhane shouted from the SUV.

"We're coming." Andros called back and began to lead Ashley again.

"Wait." Ashley stated and turned towards Carlos's grave as she had done for the past five years. "Thank you, Carlos." Even with all the sadness it took to get to this point, she finally accepted that this was where they were supposed to be.

_**(A/N: It's finally finished!!!!! And it finished on a lighter note. Yay! Tell me what you guys think I'd love to hear it. Thanks for being patient with me. Love you all! Lol!)**_


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